Royal Oneshots
by Dudly
Summary: Simply because AtoRyo is love. A collection of oneshots to bring some snark into your life.
1. Royally Yours

_**Original Author Note**__: Hum… hi, this is my first time writing Prince of Tennis fic AND shounenai… So I decided that I'll make it fun. It will be a series of oneshot/drabbles, mostly Royal Pair… I'll see. Give me suggestion if you feel like it._

_**New A/N:**__ I'm revising them. Oh, some will have –Officially Revised-, but the only reason why they don't ALL have it is that I'm too lazy to change all of them (I forgot too many times)_

**Disclaimer:** I'll say it only once: I don't own Prince of Tennis. If I did, what then?

* * *

**-Royally Yours-**

Atobe hated his work. He resented the fact that _he_, the sole heir of Atobe Corporation, had to work among a bunch of_commoners_ in the neighbourhood movie theatre. It was way below his glorious rank.

But he was obligated (obligated! The word itself made him shudder), since he loved having money and his father recently stole all his credit cards for the one and only reason that "his son wouldn't date guys".

Since Keigo refused to end any relationship, he shut his mouth and decided to earn money by himself.

So there he was, standing still, wearing the ugliest outfit ever designed. The boss had called it "a proper work uniform" but, obviously, he hadn't taken a good look at it. It was orange, for God's sake!

He truly hated his work. Apart from the clothes he had to wear, his job itself bored him to no end. Standing in the doorway, he had to tear movie tickets and direct the customer to the correct projection room.

To top it all, the place lacked budget so they had conveniently forgotten to install air conditioners, making the temperature unbelievably hot.

Atobe Keigo had spent two hours already at the same spot and he was sweating. Being a tennis player, he was used to it, but he wasn't wearing proper t-shirts and shorts. He felt caught within his uniform… caught and sticky.

"This is gross…" he muttered under his breath, after indicating the way to an old woman. He still couldn't believe that an Atobe was stuck in the lousy movie theatres. It just plain sucked.

Suddenly, a pair of arms circled his waist from behind and interrupted his thoughts. _'Who in the world-'_

"You look terrific, Monkey King."

Turning around, he caught a glimpse of mischievous cat-like eyes looking up at him with amusement.

"Move away, brat. Working here," he ordered, trying to suppress the vexation in his tone. After all, it was his first time being insulted and finding that he was unable to retort, for he knew it was utterly true.

Oh, how he hated his work…

The smaller boy pulled away reluctantly, a hint of a pout only visible to Atobe.

"What's the fabric of the shirt? It's itchy… and _orange_," Ryoma remarked with a blank expression; his signature face.

The diva sighed loudly. "You should have seen the cap. I bet they bought it in a 100 yen shop."

Ryoma laughed sincerely at his boyfriend antics. The latter one smiled. Money couldn't buy laughs from his lover; it was something hard to get.

And it was somehow magic. It erased all the wrongness Atobe felt in a single instant.

In fact, Atobe was genuinely happy. It was the first time that Echizen came to see him at his work.

Speaking of…

"Why are you here anyway, brat?"

"Regulars' activity of the week."

The not-so-worker quirked a brow. "Watching a movie in this sorry place? That sounds pretty lame to me."

Ryoma shrugged. "My suggestion. See ya later, Keigo."

With that, he walked away, leaving Atobe jaw opened. Regaining his composure seconds later, the grey-haired teen smirked.

Way too often, people misunderstood their relationship. They said it would never work, that their ego would get in the way of love. Atobe was too arrogant, Echizen was too independent.

But time proved them wrong.

Weren't they both stuck in what could easily be Tokyo's worst movie theatre?

A situation both found unacceptable- yet they were both there because they wanted to. It proved a lot.

--

Two minutes later, Fuji tapped on Atobe's shoulder, a mischievous smile displayed on his face.

"Saa, Atobe. I'm afraid Echizen forgot his mission when coming to see you."

The grey-haired teenager frowned. "What did he come for?"

The tensai cocked his head to the side, refraining from answering at once. He enjoyed seeing Hyoutei's diva impatiently waiting for him.

"You see, Keigo-kun, Ryoma suggested that we'd come here but it seems like it was only to see you," said Fuji, his smile broadening at the different reactions his statement provoked. "Thus the team is here, but we don't know what there is to see."

Atobe managed to give a professional reply. "Aah. 'Royally Yours' offers various stories, all centered around-"

"I'll take a pamphlet," interrupted the Seigaku Regular. With a nod, Atobe handed him a schedule of the many things there were to be seen. Fuji cast a brief glance at it while walking away. The first few words caught his curiosity though. So he kept reading.

**ATORYO- For the sake of the snark**

**Royally Yours;**** your number one source of Royalty**

**1.****Royally Yours**

Mou, you're reading it now! As been revised just for the sake of this list!

**2. Hair**-

Just a moment of interaction where you learn nothing (save for the necessity of having perfect hair when you're Atobe Keigo)

**3. Therapy-**

Atobe and Ryoma are tricked into going to a therapist, where they have to solve their problems.

**4. Meeting the Family-**

It had been suspected that Nanjiroh would not react nicely to his son's gayness. Well, it's confirmed. Keigo meets the Echizens.

**5. First Kiss**

Atobe and Ryoma's first kiss from Fuji point of view.

**6. Things Money Can't Buy**

Piece of insight on Atobe.

**7.****Table for Four**

AtoRyo, TezuFuji, a double date in a restaurant. In which Tezuka and Fuji scare the Royal Pair away.

**8. Allergy**

In which the mighty Atobe has allergies. Of course, that's Karupin's fault.

**9. Every Time We Touch**

Really, that oneshot is only an excuse to make Keigo sing –rolls eyes- It's Ryoma's birthday. Atobe decides to awe him. Read it while listening to "Every Time We Touch" by Cascade.

**10. I did it for the team!**

Ryoma arrives late at practice. But that was to help Seigaku beat Hyoutei. Really.

**11. Inspiration**

The theme of Echizen Ryoma's final writing production?

"What are you going to be, ten years from now?"

Expect OOCness.

**12. Amusement Park**

Kind of sequel to 'Inspiration'. Echizen's exam somehow fell between Ore-sama's graceful hands. Hence the trip to an amusement park.

**13. Even if**

Beware of the fluff. When one is missing a date, where could he be? Why, angsting under the rain!

**14. 10 Things Ryoma Hates**

I like list. And I don't think this one has to be explained.

**15. Challenge**

Before the match, before the evil laughing, one challenge: the winner decides who the loser must kiss.

**16. Fangirls**

It's very official. Atobe Keigo has fifty devoted fangirls, thus forty-seven more than Ryoma. Just why this turns on Ryoma is another question… Prolly has the most unsatisfactory ending ever written. On purpose.

**17. Gold**

Little Keigo once asked his mother about the meaning of the word "Gold". But gold can be so many things…

**18. The Little Prince**

AHERM! Warning, people. Angst ahead.

"The little prince was too young to love, but young enough to hurt…"

**19. Lost and Found**

Sequel to "The Little Prince". Character Death

**20. Purple Kiss**

Two things leaded to a kiss: a competition between Atobe and Oshitari and a purple shirt.

**21. Deathly Week**

Ryoma has been mourning all week for different people. Contains HP7 Deathly Hallows spoilers.

**22. Water Park**

Atobe brings Ryoma for what he thinks is the brat's birthday. An excuse to see Kei-chan chest naked D

**23. Is this my Fate?**

Red Thread of Fate, that's so troublesome…

**24. Happy Birthday?**

Ryoma throws Atobe a surprise party for his birthday… one week late.

**25. Be My Santa**

Atobe –demands- that Ryoma offers him a Christmas present. Handmade.

**26. Of Sleepovers**

Tezuka and Fuji are at Atobe's for a slumber party. Read: Tezuka and Fuji are at Atobe's and involuntarily mind scarring Ryoma. Kind of.

—

When Fuji got back into the darkness of the projection's room, his friends all seemed a bit awkward. The heat was terrible and there was nothing to be entertained by, save for many publicities and movies previews. Some of them actually looked interesting, but nowhere near enough to be amusing.

Swiftly, Fuji sat beside Ryoma. "I went to see Atobe for the pamphlet. I don't see why you wanted me to, since we had decided to pick a random movie."

"Che," Ryoma said, looking away. "That's just in case I come back."

Fuji laughed lightly. "Saa, I'm sure it'll be useful then."

He paused a little before adding: "I told Atobe you were sent on a mission."

"So what, Fuji-senpai?"

"You weren't." Fuji opened his eyes to stare at Ryoma. "That makes me a liar."

"Indeed."

"Except if you go on a mission now," Fuji stated, a foxy smile curving his lips. "I happen to have something interesting."

"Mada mada dane."

But the tensai ignored the mocking reply, leaning in to whisper in his kouhai's ear instead.

When he was done, Ryoma smirked. "All right."

--

Minutes later, Ryoma was pulling Atobe Keigo in the bathroom.

"What are you…" Atobe questioned as the small prodigy unbuttoned his shirt.

Ryoma looked up and stared into his boyfriend's blue orbs. "You do know you look awful in orange, right, Monkey King?"

Atobe frowned, not quite getting it. "I'm working, brat."

"Wrong. You're necking with me in the bathroom," Ryoma corrected, taking off his jersey. "Or at least, you should be."

"What are you doing here, Ryoma?" Atobe asked while Ryoma resumed taking away his work uniform.

His boyfriend grinned.

"You remember what Fuji-senpai said about sending me on a mission?"

He stripped of his t-shirt as the grey-haired diva nodded, "Vaguely."

Ryoma smirked. "This is it."

* * *

_**Ending Note: **__If you haven't guessed, the pamphlet contained the list of every oneshot you'll find in my ever-growing collection. The summaries are a bit sketchy, yes. _

_Enjoy your stay, for it will last. I promise nothing else than AtoRyo, though I can say for sure that I revised those oneshots countless times. _

_Thanks for being here. Please, keep on reading and spread the Royal Love._


	2. Hair

-**Hair-**

It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining brightly, not many clouds, perfect weather… Echizen Ryoma would have enjoyed it happily if he didn't have to pace around while Mr. Perfectionist was trying to brush his grey locks in a way that would not be messed up once he was going to be in the heat of a tennis game.

If you asked for his opinion, he would have angrily said that Atobe Keigo was a monkey that was doing his best to look more handsome, in a human kind of way.

"Keigo, stop fixing your hair and let's go already."

"Ore-sama will _not_ leave this place until his hair is perfect."

Echizen inhale deeply, trying his best not to snap at his boyfriend. "Your hair's perfect, Monkey King!"

"I don't know… I have trouble with the back…"

"So why don't you just call one of your servants to finish it for you?" Ryoma suggested, rolling his eyes. Usually, Atobe reserved the lamest jobs to his employees.

The suggestion irritated the busy heir. "No commoner should be allowed to touch such marvellous hair, Ryoma."

'_Of course.'_ Echizen remained quiet, inwardly groaning at the word 'commoner'. Catching his expression, Atobe sighed.

"You're no commoner, you're my boyfriend. I thought it was clear."

Ryoma nodded, not expecting anything else from Atobe. "Why, thank you. Now, hurry up or we'll be late."

"Sheesh, when did you start to care? Anyway, they can't just forfeit the two of us, can they?"

The question was pertinent enough but the young man ignored it.

"I don't care. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can kick your royal butt."

Atobe chuckled. "You really think you can beat me?"

Ryoma blinked and thought about it for a second, which highly amazed Atobe. Good ol' Ryoma never doubted his own capacity of beating someone- at least on a court. "Honestly? I don't know."

And he really had no idea. Since they lived together, they had played each other countless times.

They grasped each other's tennis style a long time ago and they improved together, but they never tried to go completely all out. They favoured friendly games with special moves here and there.

"But I can't wait to see," Ryoma confessed after a moment of silence, trying to repress his smile. Well, if you want to know, he failed.

"Yeah, me too. The rest of Japan must be going crazy with anticipation," Atobe remarked with a knowing grin.

He was right. Japanese sports' fans were impatiently waiting for the match between two of Japan's best players.

Of course, the fact that they were also openly dating only made the excitation bigger.

"So, are you ready now?" Ryoma asked for the hundredth time.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Hey, wanna make a bet on the issue of the match?"

"Now, that would be stupid, Keigo."

The spoken man let out a long sigh before shrugging.

"And how about you kiss me good luck?"

Echizen raised an eyebrow but smiled, leaning in to comply.

"Che. You _will_ need it" he whispered before closing the remaining gap.

--

Atobe won after going in tiebreak. "Completely out of luck," as Ryoma humbly put it before sulking for an hour or so.

"No more good luck kisses for you, Monkey King."


	3. Therapy

-Officially Revised-_  
_

_Ooooh my God! I just watched Atobe's Gift Prince of Tennis Movie Special! It's so freaking good and touching! Atobe is such a great person, being the friend he is to Kabaji on this special day! It's also the first time I heard Kabaji say more than "Usu" o0.__POT fans have to watch it. After reading my oneshot, that is… X3_

_So I may begin… Enjoy!_

* * *

**-Therapy-**

Atobe looked at Ryoma. Ryoma looked back at Atobe. And then, together, they looked at the old man on the other side of the desk.

"WHAT?!" they asked, completely synchronized.

"Well, you're here for a love therapy, and the first exercise is…"

"No, you don't understand," Atobe interrupted. "We've been tricked into coming here."

"Look, for you to both get along well, you have to write all of your problems on a sheet and…"

"That's ridiculous. We get along just fine," Atobe retorted, his eye twitching.

The elder looked startled; this information obviously messed up everything. If he didn't solve their problem, he wouldn't get paid. And if they had no problems, he couldn't solve them.

"Hum… and what does the other mister say?" he inquired hopefully.

Ryoma took a moment to register he was spoken to. With an expressionless face, he simply answered "Mada mada dane."

Unfortunately, the doctor took that as a clue that he could go on with the session.

Both men were staring at him, bored and irritated, as he gave them paper and pen. But their eyes met and they exchanged a similar message. They could bitch at each other and have fun, since they were given the opportunity.

Pen in hand, Ryoma gazed one last time at his counterpart before jotting down every ideas he could think of. Specifically the ones that would upset Atobe.

-He is a monkey king.

-He's always late because he takes three3 hours to get ready, just like a girl.

-He makes me feel like I'm not good enough without even knowing it.

-He won't let me be on top… (He had the decency to blush while writing that one)

-It's absolutely no fun to have him paying me burgers. That darn diva makes me feel poor.

-He calls himself Ore-sama. It doesn't annoy me, I just felt like I should say it. Yeah, he had an incredibly huge ego.

-But he's nothing selfish. The man is too damn perfect. No, it's not a good thing. It scares the hell out of me.

-He flirts with everyone solely for the fun of having people fawning over him

-He always asks me to do useless things and I have to accept because I pathetically love him - which may or may not be a good thing.

-This is stupid. I really can't think of anything else because Monkey King gets everything and he got me to love him. I guess that can't be counted as a problem…

"Time's up. Exchange papers. Solve your problems only after reading it all," the therapist instructed.

The two tennis players did as they were told.

"That much?" the older one pouted, trying to sound insulted.

"What did you expected?" Ryoma taunted with an arrogant grin. Then, he unfolded the paper and started reading his boyfriend's neat writing.

1. He tries to show off, but even as an adult he's nothing but a brat

Listing his faults with numbers, that was just like Atobe Keigo. The brat mention made him scowl lightly. He had grown up! (Meanwhile, Atobe was rolling his eyes for being called Monkey King_ again_)

2. He still oversleeps in the morning… but it's always _my_ fault if we're late? Yeah, right.

3. He lacks the ability to make of conversation … I have a best friend like that; I don't need a lover like that as well.

4. He drags me to burger joints and ramen restaurants…

5. He seems to think he can make me do anything he wants

6.…And even with my Atobe pride, I can resist doing things for him. And the biggest reward I can get is a smile. Stop it, stupid doctor, whatever you think. You never saw him smile. (Obviously, he thought that they were going to give it to the old man…)

"I still really think that this 'consultation' wasn't necessary. We still have no problems to fix," Atobe affirmed. "Right, Echizen?"

"Usu."

Keigo stared at the younger one with an angry confusion.

"Ryoma…" he warned admonishingly. He didn't say anything else: his eyes told it all.

"I'm sorry," Ryoma apologized with an innocent smile. "You are right, and we shall go now."

Atobe turned back to the psychologist therapist and gave him a bit of money (which is quite a lot, since he is an Atobe). The doctor's eyes grew wide.

"Why… if you don't have any problems, then there's no need to pay…"

"Turning down money?" Atobe raised an eyebrow, a smirk curling his lips, knowing that nobody could refuse it.

"No! Huh, no, that's not what I meant… I mean, why would you…?"

"You kind of made him write he loved me and approve that I am perfect. I will keep this paper for as long as I can. _And_ he said I'm generous. So here, good day."

The therapist didn't seem to understand all of it, but he bowed and said thank you anyway.

They walked away, and he only caught on few words, which happened to be "monkey king", "brat" and "be awed by my perfection". The last sentence was muffled by a kiss, he could tell.

Were all tennis stars this strange?

* * *

Many thanks to awin-chan. She beta'd it for me even if she once said that the cool point of betaing is reading the stuff before every one else and, well, this oneshot had been published for months xD.

Why, please review?


	4. Meet the Family!

_**Original Note**: Hey, Royal Pair lovers (well, I figured you are since you read my stuff)_

_Since I got lots of reviews, I happily decided that I would make another oneshot to get even more :O !!! In this one, they are like… 2 months after they began to date. Maybe like one year (or two if you want) after they went to the training camp for the matches against Americans… _

_Hope you'll enjoy_

* * *

**-Meeting the family-**

"What's the problem, Nanjiroh? He's a proper boy, nice and polite. He sure can take care of our baby. And he's handsome too."

Inwardly, Atobe sighed, relieved that she didn't say rich. But the shock on Nanjiroh's face remained, if it didn't increase. Actually, it was quite priceless.

"But RINKO! That's the problem! He's a BOY!"

Before his wife could reply, he turned to his son, tears were threatening to fall. One could not tell if it was fake.

"Why not a girl? You could have any of them, brat!" he whined, close to despair.

Nanako, who hadn't spoken a word (she felt like she didn't have anything to say in the matter), Atobe and Rinko all remained expressionless… even though everyone waited eagerly for Ryoma's reply.

"Girls are lame and weak at tennis," was his only reply.

Nanako and Rinko looked somewhat offended. His father was even more bewildered and seemed to regret the day he gave a racket to Ryoma. The latter boyfriend's only chuckled lightly. Even if it wasn't the best scenario ever, it was better than Ryoma's meeting with the Atobes.

"Ryoma-chan! That's sexism!" his mother scolded.

"Yes son, some girls are pro in tennis and pretty attractive!" Nanjiroh stated.

"Whatever," he muttered before rising up. "I have had enough, and we do have to go to training camp. See you in a week." He gestured for Atobe to get up, which he did after polite greetings.

When they were at the door, Nanjiroh called after them again.

"Why? Why a boy over a girl?"

The Echizen son turned to face his dad and groaned.

"Stupid oyaji. You refuse to understand, ne? I didn't chose boys over girls: I chose Atobe Keigo above boys_ and_ girls. Now, ja!"

The door closed and they were gone.

--

"Oji-sama, stop looking so down. I think Ryoma is happy."

Nanjiroh looked at Nanako with pleading eyes.

"But-but-but! I'll never get grandchildren to tease and to call brats and to teach tennis to!"

"I know it's hard for you. But if he is happy, then it's all that matters."

"I know! And it's so incredibly sad!" he wailed before hugging Karupin very tightly. "Where did I go wrong? To say I displayed all those lovely magazines for him to be a fine man! I can't believe he'll never feels how soft boobs are, or that he won't get to cook BBQ for his children… Do you think it's too late to change it?"

He kept mumbling to himself until his wife snapped. "Nanji, it's our child's first love. Stop. It."

To her surprise, the remark stopped him dead in his tracks. He looked at her seriously and whispered something too low for her to hear.

"What? I didn't get it," she replied, frowning.

"The brat's first love… That means he's growing up, right?" he repeated in a gentle voice.

"Huh? I guess so… He's getting more and more mature by the minute."

"My little boy is growing up… How am I supposed to feel?" he asked, a tear menacing to roll down his cheek. His wife smiled at him tenderly and handed him the phone.

"Call him. It took him a lot of courage, I'm sure, to come and get your blessing. Show him the best part of you."

---

"Ore-sama speaking."

"Atobe-kun?" Nanjiroh asked hesitantly.

"Yes. Who is it?"

"Nanjiroh-san. May I talk to my son?"

"Sure."

During a moment, he heard murmurs and the bored tone of Ryoma greeted him.

"What is it, oyaji?"

"I called to say that… I'm sorry for the way I treated you and… your boyfriend."

A sigh could be heard on the other line.

"Okaa-san threatened you to phone me, right?"

"No! Really, I want to bless your relationship… even if you won't give me grandchildren."

"… Oyaji, I'm really young for you to tell me that. And I never said I'd spend all my life with Monkey King."

The protests of the 'Monkey King' were clearly audible. Nanjiroh laughed.

"I said the same thing for your mom, you know," he confessed.

"Really? I guess it could make a good Plan B," Ryoma replied, trying his best to sound indifferent.

"Yes, I guess it would. I love you, seishounen."

The last part was said barely above a whisper, as if he didn't want his offspring to hear it.

"Mada mada dane. Gotta hang up."

Damn that boy with sharp ears… "Well, ja ne"

"Love you too." It was an almost inaudible groan, and a second later a tonality rang through the phone. Like his father, it wasn't meant to be heard.

But where the hell do you think that Ryoma got his sharp ears?

* * *

_Aaaah… There is like, ten places where I wanted to end the story. I ended there before getting too carried away, once again. But if you want to know, Nanjiroh hang up, grinning like an idiot and said "Be happy, brat." _


	5. First Kiss

_Written in Fuji Syusuke point of view._

* * *

**-First Kiss-**

Atobe and Echizen first kiss was… interesting.

I happened to pass by and the familiar Seigaku jersey caught my eyes. Usually, I wouldn't have stopped, because I was going to St-Rudolph to drag- walk Yuuta home, but the fact that our little prodigy was with the infamous Atobe Keigo made me.

Why on hell would they be alone together, in a park with _no tennis court_?

They were arguing about something and Ryoma seemed really pissed off. I approached a bit so I could make out the words.

"Bend down!"

"Ore-sama will not bend down. It's your fault that you're so small, just stand on your tiptoe!"

"Che, it really would be easier for you to bend down" the freshman argued.

"Too weak to level up?" Atobe taunted.

"Damn it!"

Ryoma pulled Atobe a bit, but still tried to arise himself so their lips could meet.

Oh. So that was it.

Well, they were lucky I'm not Eiji or Momoshiro. It was weird, but it felt right, so I didn't scream or whatever those two hyper boys would do.

It made me smile. How great was it that the one and only Fuji Syuusuke, pro photograph, had to be there?

Those two would love a memory of what seemed to be their first kiss…

After taking the picture of what became fast a rather passionate exchange, I chuckled.

Only those two would prefer to fight about how they would kiss without giving in rather than kiss already.

"Saa… They did make a compromise though."

Love was all about giving and receiving, after all.

"Hmm… I think I should go before somebody thinks I'm some kind of pervert" That would be totally hard to explain, why I was staring at two guys kissing with my permanent smile...

And so I left, still completely unnoticed by the couple.

I turned back only once, thinking 'Won't they die if they don't breath soon?' but they weren't dead yet. Quite the opposite, they seemed to be asking for more... so I definitively let them be.

After all, Yuuta would be mad if he didn't see soon his darling aniki, ne?

* * *

_If you wonder, Fuji used the picture as blackmailing for a week, after what Ryoma and Atobe had enough and told everyone._

**In the next episode:**

_As he grew up, Atobe learned that he would always be rich, that his parent would never try to know him better and that there was nothing he couldn't have with the help of a couple of bills. And he decided that, if he couldn't do anything about it, then he would take advantage of it._

_He was right. He had entered Hyoutei Gakuen, prestigious school with a great tennis team and made his way to the captain position. Everyone respected him, even his senseis, and he was quite happy about how it turned out. He almost thanked his parents… had they been there._

_But then, he met him. Ignorant brat that didn't recognize his greatness…_


	6. Things money can't buy

_My internet has a problem and I decided to write another oneshot instead. But you won't read this line until I get enough reviews with the previous one, which I must had since you read this now. Now, it's 19h06, last day of April and I have the hiccups. My internet does not work. It really sucks, so I'll try to comfort myself with some Royal Love._

_Enjoy!_

_Dudly –xx-_

* * *

**-Things money can't buy-**

Atobe Keigo was probably the richest teenager around, living in the biggest house (ahem…mansion) in town and owning too much servants and bodyguard for his own good.

His parents had made him take on expensive tennis classes very young. They said that, in the old times, tennis was considered to be a sport for wealthy people. They wanted him to excel in a discipline, and everything else seemed too barbaric for their son.

Luckily, Keigo loved tennis and never felt forced or obligated to play.

They also paid people to teach him how to speak properly, in a charismatic way. He spent one hour per night doing diction exercises, and later learnt everything about how to hold people's attention.

Even though he found it quite boring, it turned out to be more than useful when he mastered every tricks.

The Atobe, being always busy, had hired a bunch of people to take care of their boy. Soon, he had three other mothers and many "uncles". They all were expert in something in particular. Uncle Yoshua was particularly good in telling stories, while Mommy Nozomi did fabulous cakes. They were the closest being he ever had, but they all called him "Keigo-sama", always reminding him that they were only workers, receiving money to be so nice.

As he grew up, Atobe learned that he would always be rich, that his parent would never try to know him better and that there was nothing he couldn't have with the help of a couple of bills. And he decided that, if he couldn't do anything about it, then he would take advantage of it.

He was right. He had entered Hyoutei Gakuen, prestigious school with a great tennis team and made his way to the captain position. Everyone respected him, even his teachers, and he was quite happy about how it turned out. He almost thanked his parents… had they been there.

But then, he met him. Ignorant brat that didn't recognize his greatness…

Being impolite to a sempai, whatever school he went to, was something: being impolite to Ore-sama was another. This obviously drew the self-centered Atobe's attention.

How many times had he heard an arrogant "Mada Mada Dane" from the freshman smirking mouth?

But, he had to admit it; Echizen Ryoma had been his biggest challenge…

He had invited boy wonder many times to his events. The first times, he always asked various tennis teams to come so it would be less suspicious. The young boy had a funny way of trying to act totally indifferent. After, he started to invite him and Seigaku regulars. He had exchange a few words with the impertinent first year, who dared to call him Monkey King. Atobe, who was pretty annoyed by it, was still amazed by the guts the child had.

He started manipulating Echizen so he could spend time with him without having to ask him. Ryoma was completely oblivious to it. They talked a lot about various things. Getting Seigaku rookie to talk was hard, but Atobe was good at it. Somewhere along the line, he fell in love.

Him, who denies the existence of such thing, fell in love with a brat!

There were plenty of things he liked in Echizen and decided that he would be the only one to get him.

In that time, he had competition with Seigaku genius, Fuji Syuusuke, and Ryoma's captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu. But that's another story.

Because what Atobe Keigo wanted, Atobe Keigo got. It had been a long road, getting the love of such a disinterested boy, and he tried everything. He lured him out with tennis, burgers, Ponta and other things he bought, but the kid never got the message.

Atobe Keigo couldn't count on his dear money to win the boy. It was quite difficult, because he wasn't attending Seigaku, but he just couldn't give up. It was a match against two of the rival school's aces.

But I already said it once, what Atobe Keigo wanted, he got it.

Now, he was happily co-habiting with Echizen Ryoma, enjoying everything that the younger man gave: a smile, a laugh, a hug, a kiss, really everything, because it was priceless. He knew the moment he would loose it, he could never buy it back, even with all the money he had.

But Atobe Keigo never intended on losing anything, anyway.

* * *

_So, this one is over too. I mentioned Fuji and Tezuka being interested in Ryoma, and that's the more I can do for now, __**animewahine**__… But I'll try my best to it, someday… _

_Leave a review before leaving!_

**In the next episode:**

_Aouch. Anything involving Seigaku's own sadist was surely not good. "Oh? Fuji-senpai called? And you actually talked to him?"_

_Atobe Keigo hardly ever answered phone calls. He preferred to leave them to his secretary, when it was at home, and erased all what he thought was non-important voice messages on his cell phone._

"_Yes. He called from your home and I thought it was you."_

"_WHAT??"_


	7. Table for Four

**-****Table for Four- **

_x_

"Ryoma, don't you have anything to tell me?"

Echizen stared at Atobe, who was staring back with an odd look. The tone he used meant that he surely had something to say… but what?

"Not that I know."

"Is that so? Fuji called this afternoon and said…"

Ouch. Anything involving Seigaku's own sadist could _not_ be good. "Oh? You actually talked to him?"

It wasn't rude. It wasn't because Keigo didn't like Fuji. In fact, the stupid Monkey King actually _liked_ Fuji. The thing was, Atobe Keigo hardly ever answered phone calls. That was such a lame thing to do, specifically when you had a couple of secretaries paid to do it in your place. They were the ones assigned to transfer the important calls on his cellphone.

That was yet another thing that reeked of wealth in the diva.

"Yes. He said your home phone has my private number registered in its memory."

"My home phone?" Ryoma froze. Just when did the tensai get into his house? It was seriously a scary question, and the countless possibilities drove the small boy insane.

Fuji-senpai introduced himself in Ryoma's bedroom through the window, one night. He had pretended he was a dream, but when he had groped Ryoma, the latter had punched him.

The mark was fully evident the day after, at practice.

"… we should hang out with them, go to dinner." Atobe's voice snapped him out of his reveries. "Tezuka and him, you and I. I agreed with him."

"Meaning?" Somehow, Boy Wonder anticipated the answer with dread.

"Meaning I booked the four of us a reservation in a fancy restaurant for Saturday night."

Echizen glared daggers at his vis-à-vis. "Yadda."

"What?"

"Yad-da!" Echizen slowly gritted through his clenched teeth. "I don't want to."

Atobe raised an elegant eyebrow. "Why is that?"

The teenager remained quiet, choosing instead to stare at the floor so Atobe wouldn't notice the blush tinting his cheeks.

Atobe's other eyebrow rose, before frowning. "Whatever, brat. Say nothing, there is no way I'd come back on my word anyway."

The young boy sighed. "I'd still appreciate it more if we stayed at home."

His comment was rightfully ignored.

--

And so, three days passed before the two of them stepped into a luxurious Chinese restaurant.

"We should wait for a waitress." Ryoma didn't really want to go around the entire place, since it was so big, but his companion didn't share his beliefs.

"Ore-sama doesn't wait."

Ryoma groaned some protestations, but followed him in the end. For some reasons, he felt wrong being in such an overwhelming place without Keigo.

A bad habit, considering his careless act, but he actually didn't care- even if it meant having to follow his boyfriend around.

After a little search, they finally found the table where the duo had been waiting for them- though they both wished they hadn't.

In a sweet embrace, Tezuka was tickling his beloved, who was blissfully giggling. The OOCness of it all paralysed them for a good minute and, if you listened very well, you could hear the faint sound of a mind being scarred.

Eventually, Tezuka realized that they had an audience and let Fuji go, to the tensai's disappointment.

Apologies and nervous laughs were profusely released, till Atobe silenced them with a snap of fingers- the snap of fingers didn't work, but it attracted the waiter attention and they quieted down at his arrival.

The employee handed them the menu with a pleasant smile, asking them if they wanted anything to drink. Predictably enough, Ryoma ordered grape Ponta, while Tezuka and Atobe demanded a teapot of green tea.

Fuji, in all his marginality, pondered aloud on the yumminess of a good spinach and chocolate juice. Unfortunately, he had to settle for water when he heard that they didn't make such drinks in the establishment (how he missed Inui at that moment).

The waiter left, guaranteeing that they'd have their drinks in a few moments. That left the four of them with the task of finding themselves a good meal in the menu.

Thoughtful silence enveloped them as they examined the different plate, wondering why the heck it was written in so many languages.

Of course, Ryoma only wanted Japanese food, so he didn't try to decipher the foreign words. It didn't take that long before everyone knew what they would order.

After Atobe snapped his fingers, the waiter came and the tennis players went ahead with their command. Atobe slipped some money in the man's working apron, giving him an expectant look.

This led to them waiting only a short amount of ten minutes.

Everything was relative though. Time passed a lot more slowly when you were confronted with one very lustful couple. It was kind of irritating when you weren't part of that couple.

Ryoma shot his own boyfriend a glance, but Atobe seemed busy fiddling with his expensive electronic agenda.

Once again, Ryoma knew he was faking because he left that duty to his servants most of the time, he only did some changes to it according to his mood.

But the focus he put into it would mean that he was planning the year ahead. Ryoma smirked.

Then, their plates came and they started eating solemnly. Normally, this was the shorty's favourite part, but the way he felt Tezuka and Fuji playing footsies under the table just disturbed him out of his mind.

He wanted out!

Then, when the room temperature had risen high enough, Fuji abruptly stood up, declaring he needed to go to the washroom. Never mind that he dragged Ryoma's buchou with him.

A couple of minutes went by in an uncomfortable way.

"Keigo, I wanna leave…" Ryoma whispered pleadingly.

Atobe first refused, because his family raised him to be polite and leaving in the middle of a meal was very unbecoming of him. The argument didn't last more than a couple of minutes though, for Atobe happened to be just as eager to get away.

An agreement was reached: they were both out of there.

But, of course, Atobe left money on the table. He still had an honourable reputation to maintain.

--

About 10 ten minutes later, Tezuka and Fuji came back and found out about their two missing friends.

"They're gone." Tezuka was stating the obvious.

"Maybe they'd been kidnapped?"

"Syuusuke…"

"Saa… well, perhaps they ate each other up," Fuji joked.

"Syuusuke…" Tezuka repeated with a stern look.

"I know, I know. Does it really matter? They left money to pay for the four of us."

Tezuka shifted uneasily, looking every bit like a little boy who disobeyed, but decided to shrug it off.

"Hn. I guess we should give up double dating. Think we pushed it too far?"

Fuji smiled; amused as a mental picture of Atobe and Ryoma's faces when they caught them in one of their very childish moments danced around his head.

"Saa, I still think double dates are fun. We should definitively do it again."

When he saw Tezuka's features messed with doubt, he leaned him to give his boyfriend a fleeing kiss.

"But, now that they are gone, we can push things a bit… further."

Tezuka twitched, ready to lecture his lover about the improperness of it all, but stopped himself before uttering a single word.

This actually was the smartest thing Fuji had said since they arrived.

"Be silent then."

And, just like that, Tezuka gave in, allowing himself to let his guard down.

* * *

** beta reader (awin-chan)'s note**: Ah, too much Perfect Pair and not enough Rooooyal

Leave a review on your way out, pretty please. D


	8. Allergy

-Officially Revised-

_My, my… Long time no see! XP This is a request for our dear Karupin to be part of the show. Here we go!_

* * *

**-Allergy-**

Atobe eyed the fur ball at his feet carefully, attempting to send telepathic messages to it. He had heard that cats were psychic once.

'_Why won't you leave me alone? Go cuddle against your lovely master! Ore-sama demands you to!'_

The Himalayan cat just stared back with huge, innocent eyes.

'_Damn it! Don't play cute! Stop rubbing against Ore-sama's legs at once!'_

Why couldn't he get it already and buzz off?

He had a date with Ryoma, and he planned to look at his best for the first "official" date. He also had important things to tell Ryoma and he sure as hell didn't want to be sneezing through it.

So he tried to push the cat away, but Karupin didn't intend it to be that way. Purring, he rubbed himself against Atobe once more, hoping to get a caress.

"Don't kick my cat, Monkey King," Echizen warned in a dead serious tone. "You'll be sorry if you do so."

'_Sorrier than if I don't?'_ Keigo wondered as his skin began to itch. _'Damn those allergies…'_

Why did Echizen bring his cat, anyway?

"Don't threaten Ore-sama, brat. You should at least be nice to your boyfriend, you know."

The young tennis prodigy blushed a bit, making Atobe's eyes soften. Ah, it was official now, wasn't it?

Karupin and Ryoma possessed very similar eyes. Bright and sharp, the way Atobe loved them.

Feeling a surge of affection toward the thing, he bent down slightly to hold the animal in his arms. It purred happily. Atobe chuckled and gave up on hating it, scratching the back of its ear lightly.

"I hope you appreciate Ore-sama's efforts, Ryoma-chan," he voiced, hoping that his voice would sound teasing instead of scolding.

Echizen looked at him, exasperated at all the drama Atobe pulled off. Just when he parted his lips to argue the statement, the older boy sneezed. Twice.

It's only when he tried to grab a handkerchief without dropping Karupin that Ryoma realized it.

"I think I do, actually," Seigaku rookie said, smiling awkwardly, a certain guilt kicking in. "Now, give me back my cat."

When Atobe didn't give it back, Echizen sighed.

"Don't force yourself, Monkey King. It's not as if it was be a burden for me to hold my own pet"

Keigo handed Karupin back to its owner, muttering something along the lines of "ungrateful brat".

"What?" the said-brat asked.

"I said… the things I'd do for love"

Ryoma smirked. "Is that a confession?"

"What if it is?" Atobe retorted arrogantly, a mocking smirk on his own. "Will you reciprocate it?"

"Try me."

Hyoutei's captain inhaled deeply, fully aware that it would be the first time he'd actually tell the brat about what he felt.

"All right. You are the most bratty, imperfect, cocky and show-off boy I ever laid eyes on, yet you manage to make me feel like I need this dose of it on a regular basic. It's a strange feeling, but I think I love you."

Echizen didn't reply, but it didn't matter: someone did it for him. Breaking the silence, the Himalayan can meowled loudly, to what followed a pleased purr.

It was so unexpected, they both laughed.

"I think Karupin loves you back."

* * *

Tada! Revised with the help of awin-chan, who I should thank every minute of my life xD How do you like it? 

Good thing I got you so far. How 'bout you leave a review and keep on reading? n.n


	9. Every time we touch

_So I was in gym class, the teacher was not there and I was listening to my friend mp3 and then I listened to this song and the idea formed in my head… You should listen the song while reading it for more effect :) No, drop that. I order you to listen the song while reading it. The story itself is crap; it's made to come along with mental images. __So just do it!_

_**Warning**__ : 24th December._

* * *

**-Every time we touch-**

**-**

December 24th was a date who spoke of Christmas Eve, of snow and Santa Claus.

Who spoke of Echizen Ryoma's birthday and of a big party that Atobe would be organizing, that everyone suspects without knowing how it'll be. After all, Atobe's imagination was almost as big and limitless as his fortune- which is a lot.

And it made Echizen a bit scared. His boyfriend's events were always too huge, too show off.

Yes, he would prefer a cozy night watching movies on the couch. Or playing tennis, who cares?

But he was quite sure that Keigo had planned something which involved every one he knew (that meant every tennis player around). As much as he would prefer not going, he knew he wouldn't survive Atobe's wrath- Birthday Boy not showing up to his birthday was the biggest outrage to a birthday party.

Still, if he was lucky, Atobe would suggest it's a Christmas party. After all, he hadn't told that much people that the last event was for Kabaji. Maybe everyone will forget that it's his birthday and Atobe won't feel the need to mention it?

The young boy let out a sigh when he entered "Christmas Wonderland". Thanks God, it was all about Christmas Eve. Few team mates and rivals were even wearing Santa's hats.

He started to relax until…

Snap of fingers reclaimed silence, Atobe's for sure.

"Ryoma, you're late" he scolded in his microphone, and all eyes turned on the Seigaku prodigy, who pulled his hat to cover his eyes.

"Now" Atobe ordered, and every single person began to sing "Happy Birthday, Ryo-chan", making Ryoma blush, shrink, turn crimson, wanting to hide, and all that stuff that you should know if you already went to some place and then… everybody in the room, even strangers, sings Happy Birthday To You.

It's very embarrassing, and Echizen couldn't escape it (his cap didn't go low enough). He felt relieved when it stopped, but his beloved didn't seem to like the idea of it.

"Now, this is my gift to you… well, until tonight" Keigo joked, making Ryoma flush deeper shades of red. "Be awed by my beautiful voice" he added before starting to sing in an awfully girly voice this song we all hummed at one time or another.

_Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling._

_And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly._

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last._

_Need you by my side._

_Cause everytime we touch, I feel this static._

_And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky._

_Can't you hear my heart beat so._

_I can't let you go._

_Want you in my life_

Once the song ended, applause were heard from everywhere, but were soon stopped by an evil aura coming from a certain Echizen Ryoma.

Atobe couldn't help but smirk. He had thrown his pride away, but the sight of his lover, wannabe-tomato was worth it.

_I love you too_, he mouthed as his boyfriend shot him a death glare.

He twitched when daggers started to solidify in those golden eyes… Hehe… how long could Ryoma keep the grudge when it was his birthday AND Christmas?

Beside, he hadn't been _that_ bad, had he?

--

* * *

_Told you it was pointless. It's really just the picture of Atobe singing this song that's worth making a one shot about it. _

**In the next episode:**

"Echizen" another voice added in. "50 laps for being late"

"Ah, buchou, please… it wasn't my fault!" Ryoma pleaded, putting on a puppy dog face.

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Another pregnant woman?"

"My fault, Tezuka" Atobe declared from within the limo. "Beside, I don't think he'll be able to run now."


	10. I did it for the team!

_**Congratulations**__ to Empress Satori who was the 69__th__ review. _

_**Warning:** Insinuations for perverted minds. _

* * *

**-I did it for the team!-**

"Hoi, Inui-senpai! Do you know where Echizen could be? He wasn't home when I stopped by!" Momo whined to the data collector- because if someone knew, it would be him.

"Hmm… Echizen… 70 percent chances that he's sleeping." the tall teenager read. "1 that he's dead… 1 that he went back to America and decided not to tell anyone. 2 that he quit tennis because of a new discovered illness or his father death. 1 that he's clobbering someone in tennis. 1 that he actually woke up early but got a problem somewhere. 10 chances are that he was in the bathroom when you passed by. 14 are or unknown or data unperfected since he acts weird."

"Oh. I'll take it he overslept" Momoshiro conclued sheepishly, before disappearing. In the process, he heard his captain talking to Oishi…

"Hn. Echizen's late again?"

"Hai, Tezuka… he probably overslept, but it's normal, he is young and needs sleep for his bones to grow and…"

"Oishi. Some laps will be good for him too. We _need_ to train in order to beat Hyoutei."

The second year swallowed, feeling bad for his favourite freshman. After all, maybe he _was_ in the washroom and he should have waited for him! Maybe that the little prince had to run all the way to school and… when Tezuka-buchou meant _some_ laps, it _meant run until you faint dead._

A black limo cut his thoughts short. _Atobe's_ black limo, to be more precise. But even if only some people from the tennis team knew it, the fact that there was a limo in front of the school caused a crowd to gather.

The door started to open, and everyone held their breath. Now, who can that be? Well, Momoshiro didn't expect a celebrity, like every other student, and knew pretty much that Atobe would come out. A foot stuck out and…

"ECHIZEN?!" Momoshiro couldn't help but shout.

"Hn, Momo-senpai, you're too loud…" the young boy winced.

"Echizen" another voice added in. "50 laps for being late"

"Ah, buchou, please… it wasn't my fault!" Ryoma pleaded, putting on his best puppy dog face. Which wasn't that effective, since he had no experience in 'pity me' looks.

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Another pregnant woman?"

"My fault, Tezuka" Atobe declared from within the limo. "Beside, I don't think he'll be able to run now."

Atobe smirked at the clueless expression his rival wore and then turned to Ryoma.

"Heh, be convincing, brat. Careful, ne?" he spoke softly. The boy nodded.

"Ok, I'll be leaving then" Atobe ordered his driver to go and soon they were far from sight.

"Echizen. _Why_ were you late _and_ came to school with Atobe?" Tezuka questioned, his face expressionless again.

"Aah. Well I… huh… so… and then… yeah" the freshman stammered, his face flushing a bit.

Yeah, if you think it's out of character, so does Tezuka.

"Oh? Care to tell us more, or save your breath for your laps?"

Yeah, a full sentence. That's OCC too, but Tezuka knows how to adapt. That's the way he is (to compensate the fact that he is boooring!).

"Slept at his house. Shut his alarm clock before sleeping. He didn't wake up, neither did I" Ryoma explained hastily, his face clearly showing that it didn't seem to be such a good idea with a step back.

"Why?"

Yeah, one-word sentence. Simply because, when things get too strange around you, you go back to the familiar field.

"So he wouldn't wake up?" was the hesitant answer. "You know, since he's Hyoutei captain, and there's no vice-captain, then the club would go wrong and…"

He stopped, mostly because of the incredulous stare his captain was giving him.

Stare that started to crack his cold mask…

"I did it for the team!!!" he cried, poor misunderstood little boy…

"You're saying that… you spent the night with Atobe?" Tezuka asked after a few seconds. The younger boy eyes shifted away. "Did you sleep in his bed?"

The question was full of implications and Echizen couldn't help but flush.

"I DID IT FOR THE TEAM!"

* * *

_Yup. Go imagine whatever you want. Be a pervert and forget that he's only twelve if that pleases you._

**In the next episode:**

_I don't care if he looks like a monkey and if he calls me a brat. I guess it's true, but I'm willing to mature with him at my sides._

Gee. It didn't felt like he wrote it at all. Since when did he show emotions- especially when people were going to read this?

_I don't care if he decides that being the heir of the Atobe Company makes him unhappy and that he has to live in a creepy and tiny apartment..._


	11. Inspiration

**Warning**: Written during a writer block.

* * *

**-Inspiration-**

Ryoma stared at the paper that had just been passed to him. The final exam. A written composition. 450 words at least.

_Damn_.

Oh, he could write anything in English. Without mistake too. But _thinking_ about _what_ to write? Heck, and it was suppose to be…

Wait. They give a subject. Maybe that's better.

_What will your life be in 10 years from now?_

Oh. That's it? He was suppose to say that it _450_ words??

Better start now.

_I'm going to be a tennis icon, without being perfect, because when you're perfect, it's over._

Good. It was very well inspired. 16 words. Maybe he could say something about his oyaji…

_I would have surpassed my dad, and he would be the one running around, trying to get a point from me. He'll forget about his porn and his free time will be spent striving to surpass me so he can continue to smirk and call me brat. Which he won't. Because I'll be better than him._

Aah. The structure of the sentence wasn't good, but the point was there. So it was fine.

_My mom will finally confess that she only married dad for a shallow reason, that she never truly loved him. And I will understand, because their love doesn't seem real._

Hn. So now he wanted to talk about love, eh?

_It makes me want to teach them how to love. That's weird, because I'm their son, and I shouldn't have to. I mean, they call me brat, but I know more about one of the most important thing in the world._

Ok, that was just corny. Too much romance novel… Whatever. He needed words and he wasn't about to erase them.

_Even if my dad knows more them me in THE most important thing, being tennis. But he doesn't know how to love correctly._

Okay, he was repeating himself, but it takes whatever it takes.

_So in ten years, my parents won't be together anymore while I'll be living in a huge mansion with everything I need and even more._

_I'll have my own tennis court, my own pool, my own everything. And I won't even have to do a boring job for it. Yes, many would say I'm a lucky brat. But those are materialistic._

_Because they'll look past the one that shares it with me. And he's the important part._

Wait. No way he was actually writing that… No way he was even thinking about writing it.

He blinked and looked again. He wrote it alright.

_He may be a show-off and I'm sure his ego will have grown even more in the following 10 years, but I have no doubt I'll still be with him._

Did he mean that? He hadn't even expected the relationship to last!

_I don't care if he looks like a monkey and if he calls me a brat. I guess it's true, but I'm willing to mature with him at my sides._

Gee. It didn't felt like he wrote it at all. Since when did he show emotions- especially when people were going to read this?

_I don't care if he decides that being the heir of the Atobe Company makes him unhappy and that he has to live in a creepy and tiny apartment. I'll be with him and cheer him up, even if I'm not good at cheering people up. Anyway, it seems I can always cheer him up with absolutely no effort. So it's all good._

Ryoma sighed. Why couldn't he keep himself writing this? Why wouldn't he talk about tennis? Tennis is life.

_I'll be there for the things he can't do. I'll give him things handmade on holidays, because he can buy everything. I'll endure him when he'll decide to complain. I'll be there._

And he went on and on, his hand never pausing, never listening to his brain. His brain kept pestering him to write about tennis. Heck, Atobe was a tennis player too. But the pen never wrote the correct words down. It already had found some inspiration.

_I know that it won't be as perfect as I've described it, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes for it to be that way._

Phew. 451 words already. Maybe he could just… round off the number to 455?

_Because I love him._

* * *

_Ok. That was it. If you start to count the number, don't bother. It's said that he went on and on, so he wrote lots of thing, it's just not said. _

**In the next episode:**

"Why so suddenly? I'm sure that, one week ago, you'll just have called me a brat or a baby and continued to walk." Ryoma argued, but then stopped and thought it over. "No. Wait, one week ago you wouldn't even have taken me to an amusement park in the first place."


	12. Amusement Park

_**Original Note**:I went to La Ronde the day I wrote this, the title is Amusement Park. I lost 10$ to the game that Atobe is playing, which is too much for not getting anything because I suck. So I decided to make sure Atobe doesn't get it either. __Haha. That's really stupid._

* * *

**_-_Amusement Park-**

"Keigo… you know, I don't want it that badly."

"Shh, I'm about to have get it… I just need to focus… aim the border and give it a little backspin… like that and… SHIT!" Atobe cursed when he missed- again.

"Monkey King, you're making a fool of yourself," Ryoma mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Let's go already."

"NO! You said you wanted the giant stuffed cat and I shall get it for you, brat!"

The smaller boy twitched. "Why are you making it sounds like a pain AND persisting?"

Atobe glanced down at his boyfriend and his face softened, a delicate smile tracing his features.

"Because you shall get what you deserve, and I shall be the one to get it for you"

The explanation, however, only seemed to confuse Ryoma more.

"I'm sure that, one week ago, you would have called me a brat or a baby if I had mentioned I wanted it," Ryoma pointed out, but then stopped and thought it over. "No. You wouldn't even have taken me to an amusement park in the first place."

Atobe sighed dramatically. "Why are you complaining, lucky brat? You know, love can take many shapes. Want me to teach you about it?"

Ryoma frowned at the emphases his boyfriend put on the words 'lucky brat', 'love' and 'teach'. It bugged him, without knowing why exactly.

Anyway, he couldn't think about it since Keigo babbled and most likely didn't plan to stop.

"For instance: take your parents. Such a weird love that you'd think it isn't real. But you'd be wrong. People only use different methods to show their love."

Ryoma froze, keenly hoping it was a coincidence.

"There are people who like to expose their feelings to the world. Others keep it discreet, whispering sweet words to the one person they love. Some individuals forget to even bother, for they think it is quite clear. But the love is still there."

The shorter adolescent gulped. It couldn't be sheer luck, not with so many hints…

"Nevertheless, if you don't show it enough, how can you hope to have a future together?" Atobe finished with a smug look.

Echizen flushed crimson. Suddenly, shame assaulted the teenager, who awkwardly looked down. Fortunately, Atobe dropped his act.

"The reason I brought you here was to make sure you'd stay mine. Not by trying to buy you, of course. Just to show I care, because I want us to last."

Ryoma, used to Atobe 'I'm-too-good-for-you' attitude, was taken aback by the sincere revelation.

"You know, if you read my essay, then why do you think we wouldn't be able to build a life together?"

His date smiled happily and leaned in to share a chaste kiss, and things quickly heated up.

All too soon Atobe pulled away, completely breaking the moment.

"Now, if you think you can distract me from winning this cat…"

* * *

___So I used the suggestion in one of the reviews to write a oneshot about Atobe seeing the essay Echizen wrote. I hope it was good enough._


	13. Even if

_It's late. I gotta sleep. I just made this new chapter. Hope you'll enjoy- excuse the mistakes of any kind please?_

**Warning** : Candy-like sweet sugar.

* * *

**-Even if...-**

_I'll be there for you when the rain starts to pour…_

"Gee, where can the brat be?" Atobe gritted through his teeth in an annoyed voice. "The storm is nearly as big as a cyclone!"

Kabaji, who was sitting in front of his friend in the big limo, almost smile.

Worry was evident in Atobe's voice, even if he was trying to mask it by being mad.

The storm wasn't that terrible too, but he agreed and voiced a steady "Usu", even if he was beginning to worry too. Even if his best friend's boyfriend was only a year younger than himself, he was really tiny. It made him a bit scared too, even if his neutral face showed no emotions. But Atobe knew that Kabaji had grown to care about his little Ryoma over the years…

_I'll be there for you, like I've been there before…_

Anxiety took the better of them as they checked each and every place the tennis prodigy would be inclined to be at. Atobe fists were clenched tight as he tried to see past the window, but it was still as hard with the hard rain pouring.

Kabaji, on his side, was biting on his lower lip, mother hen mode that would put Oishi to shame. They both were drenched to the bones for having searched Ryoma around, so he felt bad for Ryoma himself.

No, it never occurred to them that Ryoma was safe and dry. Ryoma was supposed to meet them (well, he was supposed to meet Atobe, but Kabaji always tagged along and no one ever complained) and Ryoma wasn't the kind to skip out a date without telling Atobe.

"Tennis courts?" Kabaji suggested, knowing that Keigo would understand what he was talking about. Last time, Ryoma was found in the middle of a street tennis court…

Atobe's eyes became somehow hopeful, and he immediately ordered his driver to go to the tennis courts. When the limo parked, the duo was able to see a shadow standing far enough; in what seemed to be the exact same middle of court he was at last year...

Kabaji's lips curved upward as he watched his friend run to his beloved. This time, he stayed behind.

"Stupid FOOL" Atobe yelled as he got near the small form. The boy's head turned, revealing to be Ryoma indeed. Big eyes looked back with surprise.

"Keigo" Ryoma whispered quietly. "I'm sorry…"

The older man pulled him violently into a hug. "I hope you are! Look at yourself! You're soaked from head to toes!!!"

"So are you" was the soft reply, almost too soft to be carried out. "I'm really sorry… I bought you a gift but it got wet too"

Atobe quirked an eyebrow at the statement. "A gift? What for?"

Echizen released a somewhat bitter chuckle. "You didn't remember, after all. Maybe that's a good thing…"

This time, Atobe frowned. Deeply. "Why are you here anyway?"

He let go of his Ryoma so that he could see the sorrowful smile that traced itself on the boy's lips. "It was five years ago. On this exact same spot. I come here every year on this day, you know?"

Atobe's frown deepened even more, if that was possible. What was his boyfriend driving at? He didn't remember of a particular game that took place on this court.

"But it's been raining for the last two years…" The 17 years old teen dazed into space. "And I wonder if it means something… maybe the spell is broken? Maybe that's why we don't spend as much time together as before…"

This time, Keigo got it and mentally slapped himself. "Ryoma…"

He took a long look at him, noticed how gorgeous Echizen was with water running down on him. Tenderly, he kissed the boy's cheek.

"You're crying" he murmured after having done so.

Apparently coming out of his trance, Ryoma protested faintly. "Am not."

"Yes, you are. Rain isn't that salty" Atobe informed with a gentle smile. "Now, don't cry. Spells can be redone."

This time, Atobe bent down and captured his lover's lip in a nice and soothing kiss which was lovingly returned.

After they broke out for air, Atobe spoke again. "I know you're still a kid and that's why you're so romantic, but I would really prefer having you with me at the restaurant then you, catching pneumonia here. Even if it's the place where we first kiss. Even if it's exactly 5 years after."

Ryoma nodded with a shy smile. "Yeah, Keigo… but I was afraid you didn't love me anymore since we don't spend time together anymore."

"So you decided to miss one of those few dates?"

The taunt was well aimed, and Ryoma was about to make a comeback when his lips locked with Atobe's one, once again.

"Even if…" the older boy started. "Just don't do that anymore. You scared the shit out of me."

_I'll be there for you… Cause you're there for me too_

"Don't worry, Keigo. I won't."

Silently, Ryoma intertwined his fingers with Atobe's one. "You know, five years is a lot, Monkey King."

"No it's not, brat" Atobe argued lightly. "Five years is only the beginning of forever."

* * *

_That was just sooo corny and I'm sorry for it. Total fluff. But please review anyway_

**In the next episode:**

10 things Ryoma hates-

_Apparently, Ryoma liked the little exercise he did in the psy's office, because he's doing it again!_


	14. 10 things Ryoma hates

**-10 things Ryoma hates-**

(Rewritten for them to be one hundred words drabbles (except the last one, which is in fact 250 words long)

* * *

**1. Waking up in the morning**

"Rise and shine, brat," Atobe demanded, pulling his boyfriend out of Dream Land.

The small boy groaned sleepily. "Five minutes…"

"Ryoma, get up. You have practice."

The Seigaku player stirred ever so slightly. "Yadda. I don't want to go. I want to sleep for the next century."

"Like the sleeping beauty?" Atobe smirked when Ryoma nodded. It reminded him of the trouble Jirou imposed on him.

The grey-haired captain kneeled beside the bed. "You know, princess, I won't be there to kiss you awake in one hundred years."

Ever so reluctantly, Ryoma forced himself out of bed. "Good morning, then…"

**2. Western Food**

The Echizens moved to Japan when Ryoma was twelve. Had they arrived one year after, the young prodigy would have never met Atobe Keigo.

The rich heir often took his lover for granted. Although sometimes, he remembered that Ryoma was free to leave whenever he wished. Those days, Atobe asked himself: what if he went back to America?

Atobe laid a plate in front of his boyfriend.

"Just in case you'd be homesick," the older teenager informed.

Echizen snorted, making Atobe feel secure again. Ryoma hated western food. And if Atobe kept reminding him how much, he'd never go back.

**3. Tezuka-buchou (in an Atobe-related way)**

Early in the morning, Atobe visited Seigaku to discuss with Tezuka Kunimitsu. It was a habit he had taken after the brunet's return from Germany, and it had not faded when Atobe had started dating Echizen Ryoma. They never played tennis, they never did anything more than talk.

Yet Ryoma was feeling cheated on.

The fact that Atobe left before practice began made things worse, since Ryoma was sadly always late.

Thus Ryoma started to arrive sooner to see that blasted Monkey King.

Meaning, he had to wake up a full thirty minutes earlier… Please, do refer to number one.

**4. Servants**

"May I take care of that, sir?"

Ryoma sighed as a young woman bowed in front of him. He eyed her rapidly, noting he had never seen her before. The former one kept invading his personal space to help him take off his coat. He liked her better.

Ryoma smirked lazily. "Che. I'll be fine."

"Ryoma, let the lady do what she's highly overpaid for." Ryoma turned his head and saw Keigo standing behind him. He was about to make a comeback when the woman nodded fervently.

The utter devotion pissed Ryoma's off. Scratch his previous thoughts. He _hated_ servants.

**5. Fangirls**

He hadn't thought about it. After all, Keigo always showed off the multiple gifts he received at school. Ryoma had dared forgetting that he had no right to enter the Atobe mansion with fangirls' gifts.

Worse. He had brought over Sakuno's cake.

Oh, the drama…

Usually, Ryoma didn't make such mistakes. He knew how his boyfriend reacted to his popularity.

The drama queen would make a fuss , chase Ryoma away, and then came back, two hours later, with a handmade cake.

That was the most horrible part. His cakes tasted like crap.

"Don't worry. Your cake is better than hers."

**6.****Not being able to write his own lists**

You know how it is. An author comes around and talks in the name of a character… well, Ryoma wants to write this one.

_Atobe Keigo is stupid and arrogant. This is why you should refer to him as a Monkey King. That's what he deserves for calling me a brat. Don't worship him. Don't fangirl over him. _

_In fact, boycott every product from Atobe Corporation. I'm the prince of tennis. You shall listen to me. _

_If I say don't like another character because he teases me way too much, do as I say._

_Anyway, Keigo is mine. Hands off._

_--_

(Did that really had a point? Why, of course not.)

**7. Bottoming**

Every day, Atobe Keigo became more and more annoying. His ability to make a fool out of Seigaku rookie easily, for instance, had became worse lately.

Then again, it might be caused by the Fuji Syusuke factor. One must never underestimate a prodigy.

"Ne, Atobe. Sometimes I'm jealous of you."

The lightly spoken question intrigued Atobe. "Why is that?"

"You get to top when having sex."

Atobe laughed.

Ryoma froze. He refused to approach the duo, for together, they emitted a weird aura. And the discussion…

"Isn't Ryoma totally uke-material?"

At that claim, a part of Ryoma's pride had died.

**8. Jiroh.**

It was a simple concept, really. Even someone with half a brain could understand the mechanics of it.

When your lover falls, you help him up.

It was only common sense. "Etiquette", as Atobe arrogantly put it.

Yet when Ryoma tripped…

The small boy had groaned. "Help me up."

"Sorry. I'm carrying Jiroh."

Ryoma glared before turning to his shocked best friend. He pointed at his swollen ankle and pouted. "Kiss it better, Momo-senpai."

A thud resounded, along with the yelp of a previously sleeping blonde.

Ryoma smirked at the scene Jiroh was making for being dropped.

It was worth it.

**9. Perfection**

Ryoma despised the idea of being perfect.

Somehow, when he had told that to Jiroh, the Hyoutei regular had looked perplexed.

"Then why are you dating Atobe?"

"Atobe isn't perfect," Ryoma had automatically snorted.

The volley player had shrugged before closing his eyes. "You say that because you're in Seigaku."

Ryoma had reflected upon it. No, Atobe wasn't perfect. Physically, there was this mole under his right eye… and mentally, the diva attitude equalled flaw.

Even Atobe Keigo wouldn't be able to make perfection look nice to Ryoma's eyes.

It was all right. Ryoma wouldn't have it any other way.

--

(I know. I don't think it would really happen, so call it OOC xP)

**10. Falling for you**

_Unexpected_.

That was the best word to describe the start of their relationship. They had started off playing tennis. Nothing else. They weren't anywhere near friends when they ended up making out on a boring day.

Explaining it to their surroundings was hard. But they wanted to try it. Try they did and they put efforts into it. They refused to fail at anything.

Sometimes, Ryoma wanted to stop caring. Keigo often thought the same thing.

They never broke up. That was almost a miracle.

The both of them were pretty obstinate about it. At first, they could list everything they disliked about each other without thinking about it twice.

It wasn't that they hated the other. In fact, there was a playful chemistry between them. They just liked to throw insults every now and then.

Once their first month was done, their couple had started to find their roots.

After the first year (the fact that they lasted this long impressed everyone), they had already fallen in love. It was inevitable and they hadn't been avoiding it.

The fact that Atobe was never humble and Ryoma always bratty didn't matter that much anymore. Tics that irked them at first were now normal- endearing even.

They still had at least ten good reasons to hate each other. If they sat and took the time to think carefully, of course they'd find flaws in their relationship. Many of them.

But, in the end, there would always be more pros then cons.

* * *

_You know what would be really nice? A 100-words review! xD _


	15. Challenge!

_Not dating in this oneshot. Ryoma is still a freshman._

* * *

**-Challenge-**

"The one who loses this match has to shave his head!" Ryoma declared with his trademark smirk.

The tennis player in front of him rolled his eyes. "Brat. We already did that." _'And I'm not going to take that chance again'_ he added bitterly in his mind.

"Well… the loser has to dress like a girl for a day!"

This time, the other boy's eyes narrowed in a glare. "You said the same thing last time. You lost. You wore tomboy-ish clothes."

"They were my mom's one, so it was girl's clothing!" Ryoma defended himself.

"Whatever you say, brat. It still lacks originality."

"Look who is talking," the freshman sneered. "You never gave any suggestions."

An elegant eyebrow was raised. "It was your idea, to bet things like that on our matches. But if you wish…"

This time, Echizen only waited. He couldn't really argue back, since the statement was true.

After his victory at the Nationals, he discovered that a challenge before the game started stimulated them to win, thus the exchanges were much more interesting.

"A kiss," Atobe finally said. "The winner decides who the loser must kiss."

Ryoma first gave his rival a defiant look, but then nodded. "Wonder who will be the funniest person to make you kiss, Monkey King."

And they started the match with evil laughs.

-------

"Game and match! Won by Atobe Keigo!"

Once the results were announced, Ryoma's legs stopped carrying him. The freshman dropped to the ground, still panting heavily.

They had played a great match. Ryoma had been _this_ close to winning…

Not having the energy to go on with his train of thoughts, Echizen shut his eyes, gathering some strength. He'd have to get up sooner or later. Beside, he could feel his opponent's gaze burning his skin.

"So you won, Monkey King." His voice carried through the other side of the net. Man, he could picture the proud smirk in his head…

"Indeed, Ryoma-_chan_."

Both of his eyes shot open at the closeness of the voice. Atobe had walked to his side of the court, along with a smirk that easily rivalled Ryoma's.

"Be a good boy. Get up from the court."

It was an order, and Ryoma felt disgusted to comply without protesting. Even if he was overexerted, he snubbed the outstretched hand. His pride would suffer enough soon…

"Who do I have to kiss, Monkey King?"

His voice was flat, although he was inwardly terrified. He was twelve! His very first kiss!

"You sure are eager about it," Atobe teased mischievously. So mischievously that Ryoma prayed in his head, over and over again,_'Please Kami-sama, don't let it be someone creepy!'_

"May as well get this over with," the pre-teen muttered darkly.

"If you wish," Atobe replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Kabaji."

As the giant approached, Echizen eyes widened in mortification.

'_NOT KABAJI!'_ inner-Ryoma screamed.

"Please take my things home. I have some business to attend to."

"Usu."

Ryoma heaved a sigh of relief. Silly mistake. Atobe turned his attention back to him with an amused smile.

"Don't worry. I won't take the risk to traumatize one of my teammates over this."

What was supposed to be a comforting claim earned itself a deadly glare.

"What?" Atobe asked, annoyed. "You just didn't have to lose."

This time, Ryoma stopped dead to throw him a '_I-didn't-want-to-lose-to-you-big-moron'_ look.

Atobe narrowed his eyes before shaking his head in exasperation. "Look, Echizen. Deal's a deal. I get to choose who you shall kiss. Follow me."

Defeated by the logic, the boy didn't have many options. He waved goodbye to his team and trailed behind Hyoutei's captain.

After being trained from isolated places to more isolated places, they were finally in the _most_ isolate place, where nobody could be seen around.

"Monkey King, care to tell me who I'll kiss here?" he questioned, trying to make himself sound uninterested.

"Still in such a hurry to kiss someone?" Atobe innocently asked. But we all know he was provoking little Ryoma. And provoke he did.

"NO! I don't _want_ to kiss anyone you'll be pointing at! I just want to know _who_ is gonna be my first kiss!"

Ryoma cursed mentally for being too expressive when he saw the surprised look Atobe wore.

"So you never kissed anyone before…" the latter one murmured, more to himself than to Ryoma. "I guess you _are_ twelve12 after all. But don't worry. I won't point at anyone."

Echizen scowl left his place to a hopeful look. However, it vanished the moment Atobe closed the gap between them.

"But since that doesn't answer your question…"

Atobe's voice was slow and slightly hoarse, making the smaller boy hold his breath.

"I want you to kiss… _me_."

Instantly, the young tennis prodigy froze and eyed Atobe in disbelief. The diva decided to prove his point by kissing lightly the boy's neck, sending shivers down Ryoma's spine.

Atobe was about to press his mouth against what seemed to be very soft lips when he noticed that fear had replaced bewilderment in Ryoma's face.

Frowning, he took a step back. "You're too young…"

"Am not!" was the automatic answer.

"And too old to be that cute," the rich boy mocked, a 'tsk' dancing on the edge of his mouth.

It made Echizen nervous. "Aren't ya gonna kiss me already?"

"No. You may leave."

Atobe turned his back on his 'prey' and motioned him to go back home.

"What are you waiting for?!" he questioned sharply when no move was made.

"Deal's a deal."

When he faced the small boy again, he could recognize the ghost of a smile on the young features. Slowly, he leaned in to lock lips with the other. Once it was done, his tongue slipped in Ryoma's mouth and, to his surprise, the gesture was mimicked. Boy Wonder proved to be a good kisser.

"That was more than part of the deal," Atobe whispered after they broke out for air.

"I guess it is," Ryoma shrugged after a short silence.

"Why?"

"My thanks… for not making me kiss Kabaji."

Atobe snorted. "If I wanted to humiliate you, I would have asked you to kiss your coach, brat."

Said brat visibly paled. "…really?"

Nod.

"Thanks_ so much_ for being gay!" Ryoma muttered in a whiny voice, before kissing again a twitching Atobe Keigo…

* * *

_Now, how disgusting can Ryoma kissing Ryuzaki-sensei be?_


	16. Fangirls!

In two words: randomly silly

**-**

**-Fangirls-**

**-**

"Thirty-nine… forty… forty-one… forty-two…"

Echizen rolled his eyes, annoyed at the taunting expression his boyfriend wore proudly. "Stop it already, Monkey King!"

"Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven…"

Ryoma twitched. "I _know_ you have more than me, why do you bother?"

"FIFTY!" Atobe declared after tossing the last one away. "Which means… Forty-seven more than you."

Ryoma eyes travelled back and forth from Atobe's smirk and the pile of human bodies on the ground. _Fangirls_ bodies, to be exact.

"Great. Now, what are you going to do with them?"

Atobe blinked before turning his gaze to the fangirls who were all happy to be in the huge Atobe mansion.

"I don't know… I guess we can sell them."

Ryoma quirked a slender brow. "That's called human traffic. It's illegal."

The wealthy man shrugged. "It's not like if police cared about fangirls that much."

"Keigo, you can't _sell_ those girls. You have no right to," Ryoma stated, trying to be patient.

"Hn. Hey girls, if Ore-sama sold you at a convenient price to different boys out there, would you agree?" Atobe asked with his sexiest voice.

_The_ voice that made Ryoma all lustful (but that's for later.)- and that bastard sure knew it.

A muffled scream was heard and Atobe smirked. "You see brat? That's settled."

"Che. Whatever," Ryoma voiced, having reverted in his horny-state (damn Atobe power). "Just move them out of our room already."

His grin spreading, Atobe started to kick the poor girls out of the room. "My perfect little uke is begging for my services."

He pretended to ignore the protests and continued to kick the girls out. Literally.

"I dare you to deny it," Atobe said simply once the room was empty, except for the two of them.

Ryoma cheeks blushed slightly. "Well… you _could_ have used other terms!"

"Nonsense," Atobe replied, grabbing Echizen's wrist gently. "Must you correct Ore-sama way of talking?"

"I must! I _SO_ wasn't begging!" Ryoma argued whilst pulling his arm away from the taller man.

Atobe just stared at his now empty hand. "Oh. Be that way if you want."

With a shrug, he started to walk away, leaving a shocked Ryoma behind.

"W… Wait!" Echizen called.

"Wait, come back!" he added when Atobe didn't look back.

"Please?"

To say that Atobe ultimate victory smirk was annoying was an understatement.

"So are you begging me now?" the latter inquired, inches away from Ryoma's face.

Oh, how Ryoma despised being so weak in those moments…!

"Yeah, I beg you Keigo…" Ryoma groaned. "Stop teasing me already!"

Said-Keigo smiled smugly. "Ore-sama shall be generous this time."

And then they locked lips tenderly… before skipping off to nasty stuff.

But you are all too young for that, aren't you?


	17. Gold

_**Warning:**__I made some information up… Sorry_

* * *

-

**-Gold-**

**-**

"_Mari-san… what's gold?"_

_Atobe Keigo was four. In his mansion, he had been convinced by his parents to do 'something creative'. So he decided to read a book his grandmother had bought him for his birthday, many months ago. However, he had soon run upon a problem. Vocabulary._

"_Hum, I think that your mother knows better than me, Keigo-sama" the old maid answered pleasantly, knowing that the little prince wished to stay with his mom. _

_The small child grinned and quickly disappeared in order to find Lady Shion._

"_Mommy, what's gold?"_

_The elegant woman looked down from her novel to acknowledge her son. "Kei-chan, mommy is reading right now. Care to ask that to someone else?"_

_The kid pouted. "I was reading too!"_

_Shion sighed lightly before putting her book away. "Alright, Kei-chan. Come and sit on my lap."_

_Keigo happily did so, and once settled comfortably, he repeated his question._

"_Gold is a lot of thing, dear. But to an Atobe, gold is love."_

_The small boy blinked, trying to register the information in his young brain. "… what's love, mommy?"_

_Atobe's mom stared oddly at her baby. "Love is what makes two people want to stay together and marry. Didn't you know?"_

_Keigo shook his head negatively__, obviously confused. "No… so the reason why you married daddy is gold?"_

_If her son had been older, Shion would have been offended by the question. However, Keigo was far too innocent to be mad at. "I can't disagree completely, Kei-chan… But, you know, you and your father are my treasures!"_

"_And treasures are made of gold!" little Atobe finished, proud of himself._

"_Most of the time, but…"_

"_That means you love me too, ne?" Keigo interrupted with hopeful eyes._

"_Of course I love you, darling" Shion smiled tenderly while ruffling her boy's hair. "How can I not?"_

_Keigo opened his mouth to speak, but closed it hesitatingly. "Does that m__ean that you want to marry me?" he tried finally. _

"_Oh, cutie…" his mother whispered. "I'm sorry, but I can only marry one person."_

"_B…but… if I can't marry you, who will I marry and shower with gold?" Keigo whined sadly, his eyes watering at the idea of a lonely future. _

"_Don't worry, sweetie. You're an Atobe. I know you'll find your own pot-of-gold."_

_-_

The words his mother gave him this day, little Atobe had cherished as long as he could manage. Unfortunately, as time passed, the conversation started to fade away to nothingness. It became a foggy memory at first, but once he had learned and understood _who_ he was- the wealthy Atobe heir-, he didn't recall having one day questioned her on the meaning of the word 'gold'.

Gold was money, and money was power.

He thought he had known that for all his life. At ten, he had already become the rich and obnoxious Atobe who was used ordering people around. He didn't ponder on the other things 'gold' could mean. It was useless, when literally it was the most important thing one could have.

And he had it all. For all he knew, he was an Atobe all right.

But as years went by, he realized something.

Golden was also the color that Seigaku's best double pair associated their combination with.

Gold was the colour of Seigaku's genius racket strings.

Gold was the colour of _his_ eyes. The most gorgeous eyes he ever gazed in.

Gold was the colour of the proof of love he held in his hand, waiting to be offered to the person he wanted to stay with and marry. Gold was the colour of the wedding ring that would soon belong to Echizen Ryoma.

'_Gold is definitively more than money_', Atobe mused. _'Gold was the colour that helped me mature. Gold is the color of precious things. Of treasures.'_

Locking his eyes with the cat-likes one, he smiled.

"Ryoma, I took you to this country so far away from home so we can get married legally. America is said to be the land of freedom and, beside, it's where you were born. So here and now, I, Atobe Keigo, solemnly swears to take you Echizen Ryoma to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, honour and to cherish, in poverty as in wealth, in sickness as in health, for better or for worse, keeping myself from all others being only for you so long as we both shall live."

'_Gold is the color of everything I cherish. Gold… is the color of my love for you.'_

* * *

_Shion isn't really Keigo's mother name. I made it up because I didn't find it anywhere. And apparently, gay weddings aren't allowed in USA… damn. Sorry!_

_**In the next episode:**__ angst. No happy-ending. _


	18. The Little Prince

_This chapter makes me feel like crap (as an AtoRyo shipper and as a writer). _

_**Warning**__: Angst coming in industrial amount. (not really… but kind of)_

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own neither PoT or The Little Prince_

* * *

xXx 

**-The Little Prince-**

"_I shouldn't have listened to her", he confided to me one day, "One should never listen to flowers. One must admire them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet, but I did not know how to enjoy her. That tale of claws which irritated me so much should simply have touched my heart." _

_And he confided further:_

"_At that time, I was unable to understand anything! I should have based my judgement upon deeds and not words. She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I should never have run away from her! I should have guessed at the affection behind her poor little tricks. The flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her."_

_--_

Echizen shut the book closed under the bewildered eyes of the 4 years-old on his laps.

"Daddy? Why ya crying?" the child asked, tugging on her father's sleeve. Has she done something wrong? Maybe she shouldn't have insisted on the bedtime story…

She tried to meet her dad's eyes, but they were already lost in the past.

---

'_Don't look at him. Don't look at him.'_

"What… what did you just say?" Keigo asked in disbelief.

Ryoma stayed silent, still staring at his feet. "I know you heard it well the first time" he murmured after a while.

"I want you to repeat it! And look at me while doing so!" Atobe barked, grasping the other man's wrist.

Echizen shook his head, but refused to look up. "I said… that it's over. You need an heir and I want kids too. We can't continue… _this_."

"Oh no, Echizen Ryoma. You're not dumping me like that" Atobe gritted through his teeth. "You just can't dump Ore-sama with a lame excuse!"

'_So it doesn't matter if I dump you with a good excuse?'_Echizen was tempted to retort that, put the hold on his wrist tightened. "Don't say it that like if it will shatter your life. Or break your heart. It's not like if you loved me. It's not like if this relationship was worth it."

'_I deserve better'_, Ryoma told himself over and over again in his mind. _'I deserve someone who will truly care for me. And he probably deserves to be freed from the homophobic glares he gets only because of me. We both deserve better.'_

"Is that all it takes to keep you with me?" Atobe questioned with his voice sharper than ever. "Me telling you I love you?"

Echizen's head snapped up and he flashed an angry glare at the silver-haired man. How dare he play around with feelings like that? "I'm leaving anyway."

Keigo's eyes narrowed. "Fine, brat. You'll regret it."

"Very well then…Monkey King!" Ryoma replied angrily, ignoring the warnings his brain sent him.

And it really shouldn't have been ignored.

"Let… go… of my wrist" Ryoma winced at the now unbearable pain the Atobe heir was giving him. Even if his bones had solidified long ago, his wrist was still frail for a young adult.

He tried to focus on something else, since Atobe obviously didn't intend letting go soon. Ignore the pain...

'_Think about something pleasant. Look somewhere else…'_

But he couldn't look away from Atobe's face. His features were twisted and different emotions could be read on his face. Echizen, who had learnt to decode each of his boyfriend's facial expression, had trouble telling what exactly the latter was feeling.

All he knew was that Atobe Keigo was utterly unhappy with the declaration he had made few minutes ago.

Why did he care, anyway? He could find any one he wanted, boy or girl, and get him (or her) with a snap of fingers. He had given many hints about it throughout their time spent together.

Echizen also knew that he wasn't the good one for the wealthy boy. They spent all their time arguing about unimportant things, seeing as arguments were egos confrontation and they were two arrogant tennis champions with huge egos.

Their only love confessions were always physical. Sure, he hug, a kiss or whatever felt great but…

He had waited several years for three simple words that never came. He had been wishing for _so_ long to just hear the voice he loved the most say "I love you".

Sure enough, Atobe Keigo didn't love him. You _don't_ hurt someone you love. However, his wrist was slowly being broken by the pressure on it. This wasn't love.

"Echizen, you don't love me neither."

"What?! What would YOU know about love? You can't love anyone but yourself!" Echizen countered, clenching his fist. Immediately, Atobe let go of Ryoma's wrist and a bitter smile graced his tormented features.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. If that's what you think, we really aren't meant to be together."

Ryoma wordlessly watched his lover turns his back on him and walk away.

As silent at the room was, it took Ryoma years to register the last thing the rich boy ever told him.

"_But I love you anyway."_

---

"Daddy! Really really sorry…! Didn't mean to make you sad…"

Ryoma stared at the little girl who was shaking him out of his dark thoughts. "Sorry sweetie, daddy spaced out…"

"Why you crying? Keiko don't cry when space out!" the kid argued, pointing at herself.

Ryoma patted her head absentmindedly. "Daddy was touched by the sadness of the story, sweetheart."

"How is it sad?" The child seemed utterly confused.

"You see… the little prince only saw the cockiness in his flower. Never had he noticed any of its kind attention. He only saw the arrogant and irritating speeches. The little Prince failed to see the love in his rose actions. All he saw was the mask. He was too young to love, but old enough to hurt." Ryoma explained, trying not to let his voice break.

How could he still be pained by an event that took place more than a decade ago?

Comprehension dawned on the small face. "Ooooh. And... How does it end?"

Echizen knew. At the end, the Little Prince asked the snake to bite him so he could leave his body and go back to protect his rose. "He found a way back to his planet, Keiko-chan."

Keiko nodded in understanding, but soon frowned. "What about the pilot? Is he going with the prince?"

"No. The Prince goes back alone."

"But what about the fox and the pilot? They'll be lonely" Ryoma's daughter stated, pouting slightly.

"The Little Prince had come to love the fox with time and even though is affection for the pilot was automatic…" Ryoma sighed. He had never been fond of too much talking, but his daughter didn't seem aware of it. "Even though he likes them very much… his one true love as always been his rose."

Ryoma lifted the girl to her bed and proceed to tuck her in when her squeaky voice raised again. "But it's unfair to leave two people just for one!"

"Sometimes… things like that happens. Losing someone you love is painful."

Did he expect the four-years old to understand? It didn't really matter…

"But… the fox can comfort himself with the wheat, and the pilot will laugh along with the stars."

"What's the point of laughing with the stars?" Keiko protested in a sleepy voice. "You said tennis balls are way more useful… and entertaining… and more accessible."

Echizen Ryoma laughed quietly. "You, sweetie, can laugh with tennis balls. But now, you've got to sleep."

"Goodnight daddy…" She mumbled.

Ryoma answered back tenderly, but just when he turned off the light, he was questioned yet again.

"Before you leave… what did you think about the story?"

Ryoma's mouth opened to form some lame words, but only one thing echoed in his mind.

"_But I love you anyway"_

"I think the Little Prince was truly an idiot." He answered sadly.

---

Echizen, who read the newspapers every day, knew it like everyone. Atobe Corporation's president, Atobe Keigo, had married some wealthy daughter from another big company. He had a son named Ryousuke. They were in the front page every two weeks.

The string that bonded them so strongly had been cut; there was no way back to his rose.

The only option left was to forget about what he, himself, had called "a teenager experiment". The problem was that… Never could he forget that he loved Atobe Keigo… even less that the same Keigo loved him back.

That's why, every time he heard people gossiping about the unhappy Atobe wedding, he would cheer up a little.

But then, he remembered. And it hurt.

'_Because I love you too.'_

And that would be the reason why he could not forget. And that would also be the reason why at night, two hearts would ache in perfect synch.

Because, once upon a time… a Monkey King and a Brat were in love.

And even though they still are… they don't get to live happily ever after. Two princes don't get to marry and have lots of children. Instead, they gaze at the sky when the sun goes down. "One loves the sunset, when one is so sad."

They cry with each other through the stars, waiting for their failed fairytale to finally end…

xXx

* * *

_**COMING UP NEXT :** Sequel-_ Lost and Found 


	19. Lost and Found

_Last chapter was sad, but I warned you against the angst coming. Beside, I was not denying the Royal Love. It was about them being in love, but Ryoma didn't understand it because he thought that if it was not perfect love, than it wasn't love at all. Love is never perfect._

_This is the sequel to the last oneshot. It's strange how it has a lighter mood, but in the same time… Read to find out!_

_Italics represents whether memories, whether thoughts and in the last paragraph, it starts with italics of Ryoma's letter. You should recognize them following the context._

* * *

**-****Lost and Found-**

"Head up. Eyes dry. Polite smile. Don't cry, Keiko, don't cry. You have an important mission."

A young adult, who appeared to be in her mild-twenties, sat in the waiting room of the Atobe Corporation Society, and twiddled her thumbs to busy herself. Anxiety was a given, since she came to meet the president of the most prestigious business in Japan.

"_You must not cry."_

She blinked several times in a row, trying to keep the tears at edge. She failed pathetically, recollections assaulting her mind and drenching her rosy cheeks. She wiped them away in a furious movement, scolding herself mentally for her weakness. She wouldn't cry; she was going to make her dad proud.

"_I'm counting on you, Keiko. It has to be done this way."_

She tightened her grip on the box she held when the massif doors were pushed open, revealing two men. One was standing straight with pride and power, whilst the other was bowing his head miserably. She somehow guessed that the first was the famous Atobe Keigo, her suspicions confirmed when the other man left.

"You're not on my schedule."

The tone was firm and the voice was cold. She swallowed when she stood up to meet the important man's eyes on an equal level. Closing her eyes, she recited her lines.

"Sorry to disturb you, Atobe-sama, but it's a life or death situation."

Atobe's eyebrows raised in surprise, giving the stern features an innocent look. "And what could I possibly do for you? You want money, or a job?"

"No. I want you to accept this." She presented him the precious box she carried.

He eyed the thing suspiciously. "My secretary will take care of it."

"_Make sure he's the only one to open it." _

"NO! No one else should be aware of the content!" She urged on, pressing the box on the broad chest.

"Why would I listen to you? If it's a life or death situation, then it must be a bomb or something equally dangerous."

Keiko was rendered speechless for a couple of seconds. The doubts were justified and she had no counter attack. "It's only letters" she whispered. "Letters that were never sent."

It didn't help in any way. "And why are they delivered now?"

Keiko didn't know. She didn't even know what the letters were about. Or why there was a box of it. All she knew was… "It has to be done that way."

Atobe Keigo snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, right. Return them to the sender, kid."

"I can't." She racked her brain to find a solution. All she could see was the faint smile of her dad and the request he entrusted her with. What would her dad do in this kind of situation?

"Now, if you would please leave."

Quickly, she searched for any hints of solution that her memory could give her.

"_He was an old friend of mine, back in junior high. He was also very good in tennis, but still mada mada."_

Her eyes went wide like saucers. "Tennis! Play tennis against me! If I win, you read the letters. And alone."

"Tennis? I'm fifty, kid. I didn't play tennis for 30 years." Atobe protested sharply, his eyes narrowing. "I hate to repeat myself. Please leave."

Keiko bit her lip before exhaling a long breath. "Mada mada dane."

She took a step back and smirked a little at the bewildered expression the man held.

"It's really too bad that I won't get to tell that to my father. If he didn't already die three days ago, I bet he would die laughing at how the _arrogant Monkey King _would be scared enough from _letters_ that he would make a secretary read them beforehand. I guess I'll have to do as you wish then? Or maybe… Dad said that if you were being stupid, I could sell them. I wonder what's in them that could buy us a nice year or vacations."

She didn't miss the shocked, hurt look in Atobe's eyes when she declared her father died, nor did she miss the panic when she took another step back, ready to disappear.

"Your father…is Echizen Ryoma, right?"

He paused the time for her to nod, and then continued without really looking aware of what he was saying.

"I should have known. The same cat-likes golden eyes, always looking for a challenge. The lips are similar too. Even the same bratty attitude. But you're a girl."

Keiko questioned herself of the meaning of the company president's reaction. Why _an old friend from junior high _took it so at heart? Her father's old teammates didn't go on long ranting. "Yeah. My name is Echizen Keiko."

He smiled absently "Keiko, huh? Nice name. Mine is Keigo."

She gaped, memories invading her mind.

---

"_Keigo" Ryoma muttered underneath his breath, his eyes opening slightly. "Keigo?"_

_Keiko softly wiped the sweat away from her father's forehead with a wet towel. "Keiko, dad, Kei-ko." She corrected gently. "I'm here."_

_Ryoma murmured a series of curses before letting silence fill the room. Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open. "I want you to meet with Atobe Corporation President, once I'm gone and…"_

"_THE Atobe Corporation? Dad, why would I…" The girl interrupted loudly._

_Echizen Ryoma sighed deeply. "Atobe and I were friends, back in junior high. You know, the Hyoutei captain I told you about…"_

"_You knew this man!? That's awesome!" Keiko cut him yet again._

_He only shrugged. "It was awesome. Now, listen to me. You have to deliver him some letters from me. It has to be done."_

"_How am I gonna do that…?"_

"_Tell him it's a life or death situation. He has a weakness for that. It's good for the arrogant Monkey King's ego." Ryoma informed with a knowing smile._

---

"When he called for Keigo… he was calling for you." Keiko realized. Then she scrutinized the package she held and epiphany hit her. "Oh no. You can't be. It doesn't make sense."

She examined the now uncomfortable Atobe Keigo and gasped once again.

"You can't be… his long lost older brother???"

Atobe fell on the floor, anime-style. _'Man, that girl is stupid'_

"So you're my uncle, right?" She continued, excitation shining through. "…Are you okay?"

Atobe picked himself up and dusted his tuxedo hastily. "I'm not your uncle and neither am I Ryoma's long lost brother."

"Ryoma? Who were you to be so familiar with him then?" Keiko inquired, utterly lost.

Atobe shuddered imperceptibly. "Definitively not his brother. That's gross. Hum… can I have those letters? Please?"

Keiko nodded and gave him the box. "The funerals… will be this Saturday."

Atobe didn't look up from the package, didn't give any sign he would come. She greeted him goodbye and walked away, determinate to put as much distance as possible between her and the tall man who was a complete mystery.

The second she stepped outside, she gazed at the sky and addressed a silent message to her father.

"_It's done. __You may now rest in peace."_

This time, she allowed the tears to freely run down her face.

---

"I'm sorry for your loss"

Echizen Keiko looked up to see a young man, slightly older than her, bowing politely. She blinked a couple of times, wondering where she saw those determinate features.

"Do I know you?" She voiced after her examination of the character. The boy shook his head quickly and smiled sheepishly.

"I came here with my father, but when we were about to enter, he said that he had important things to do. He didn't specify why we were here, since I never heard about Echizen Ryoma before today, but Father asked of me to give you our sincere sympathies."

Keiko lips curved a little upward. "How can your sympathy be sincere when you hardly know who… my dad was?"

The man shrugged with a lopsided grin. "My dad's sympathies are twice the amount needed."

Keiko laughed. "I'm sure my dad would appreciate that even strangers mourns his death!"

"I don't mourn his death" The stranger corrected. "I'm only sorry that such a pretty girl has to cry."

Keiko gaped, but recollected herself quickly and smiled sweetly. "Shouldn't you at least introduce yourself before seducing women?"

He smacked his forehead. "I knew I forgot something! I'm Atobe Ryousuke, but you can call me Ryo."

"Echizen Keiko. Nice to meet you, Atobe-san." She smiled pleasantly.

"Ryo. Call me Ryo or Ryou, but not Atobe." Ryousuke lectured.

Keiko didn't listen, because her brain was busy analyzing the new data.

Atobe Keigo and Echizen Ryoma. Atobe Ryo and Echizen Keiko.

"_An old friend of mine" _

Keigo and Ryoma.

"_Letters never sent"… _

"_It was awesome". _

Atobe and Echizen.

"_If you sell those letters to the medias, you'll have enough money for a year of vacations."_

"_Definitively not his brother. That would be gross."_

And the overreaction to Dad's death

Closing her eyes, she came across an old scene from her childhood. A scene she had forgotten long since. A scene she now understood fully.

"_He was too young to love. The Little Prince was an idiot."_

God, she felt dizzy. She understood the truth about what she thought was a great mystery and could feel the weight of it. Though she didn't find it strange. For her, it was stranger for her daddy to cry because of a book. But now… it _really_ made sense. And she knew that even though… her dad had love another dad, he loved his family from the bottom of his heart.

"Keiko? Are you feeling sick? Keiko?"

She shook her thoughts away and locked eyes with Atobe Junior. Did she have to tell him? It was a heavy secret… She was aware that _she_ was the weird one for finding it so believable.

"Are you feeling alright? You should eat something… I can take you to the restaurant?"

A smile graced her lips. "I'd love to."

It could wait. He didn't have to now right now.

Ryousuke presented her his hand to pull her up. But he didn't let go when she was standing, giving her only a smile as an explanation.

She would test his tolerance and keep it for herself until the moment she'll choose. Beside, he will be able to help her carry it without even realizing it. He already did.

--

_I think that a love between "Atobe and Echizen" was denied selfishly by Fate, without regards to our feelings… maybe I also think that just to put the blame on anyone else than me.__ It's unfair that I loved you and you loved me but it still didn't work out. Maybe we would have gotten a happy ending. But Fate is such a bitch._

"Ne, Ryoma. It seems like Fate is finally willing to give a chance at love for 'Atobe and Echizen'." Atobe declared, pointing the unfolding events from the doorway.

Was he dreaming or was he hallucinating? In any ways, he could swear he just heard the soft whistling of the wind answer him in a very familiar way…

"_I guess you're right this time, Monkey King."_

* * *

_Dudly is happy to tell you that starting next chapter, we'll be back to our Romance/Humor oneshots! In the meantime, I'll revise my work and you can review xD (Please?)_

_**In the next episode; **_

_"You did WHAT with Tezuka-buchou?!?" Ryoma exclaimed, his eyes popping out of his head. Atobe shrugged like if it was nothing._

_"Not much, not much..."_

_--_

_**See ya!** Dudly -xx-_


	20. Purple Kiss

_Tralala. Spread the Royal Love._

* * *

**-****Purple Kisses-**

"Why do you wear that purple shirt, Monkey King?"

Ryoma had been enjoying a nice chocolate milkshake when Hyoutei's biggest diva came and sat in front of him. Not even bothering to be polite, a mean comment had been his first reaction. Just like always.

Atobe snorted. "In the old times, purple was the color of royalty. Ore-sama is rich enough to be considered royalty."

"In the old times, maybe," Ryoma agreed with a smirk plastered on his face. "But nowadays, purple is the color of fags. Is Ore-sama gay enough to be considered a fag?"

Atobe crossed his arms on his chest. "If Ore-sama is a fag, your beloved captain is also a fag."

"Tezuka-buchou is not a fag," Ryoma protested with a frown. "Tezuka-buchou… just has trouble matching his clothes."

"What would be wrong with Tezuka being homosexual, brat?"

Ryoma glared at the rival school's captain. "Tezuka-buchou is not like you."

"Not like me? Of course he isn't like me. Nobody can equal Ore-sama in any way."

"Gay Pride has finally settled in Japan?" Ryoma shot with a snide look.

Atobe's next words were carefully weighted. "You know, brat, it takes two to be homosexual. If I am gay, your captain sure is."

"What do you mean?" Echizen wasn't sure if he heard right. Anyway, Tezuka wasn't Atobe's type of men, was he? He racked his brain and decided he was not.

But then, he wondered when he found out Atobe's type of men and why he cared.

Atobe had his famous smug look. "Don't look this upset. I only kissed him."

"You... You did WHAT with Tezuka-buchou!?!" Ryoma screeched, his eyes popping out of his face.

Atobe winced. "Damn. You're loud for someone who is 'quiet and cool'…"

"What… What did you do to buchou?!" Ryoma rephrased, still unbelieving.

"Not much, not much. I told you. I only kissed him. Jealous?"

"Mada mada dane," Ryoma spat with a disgusted face. "It proves you're gay, you know, Monkey King."

"The number of boys I have kissed doesn't matter if I didn't _like_ them," Atobe affirmed with one eyebrow up.

"The number of boys?" Echizen repeated, now staring at the rich teenager oddly.

Said-wealthy heir only shrugged. "I'm doing a competition with Oshitari."

"Oh? And who is winning?"

Somehow, the word Competition always got to Echizen Ryoma. Sometimes he regretted it.

He did now.

"In Hyoutei… He kissed Gakuto and Ohtori, while I kissed Shishido and Jiroh. In Seigaku, I kissed Tezuka and Fuji while he kissed Kikumaru, Fuji and Kawamura…" Atobe listed with a bitter expression.

Was he bitter for having kissed all those boys or for losing?

"Monkey King, you're definitively homosexual."

Atobe snorted for a second time. "Ridiculous. A kiss is good no matter if it's with a boy or a girl. I told you, if I didn't like any of the guys I kissed, then I'm not a fag."

Echizen bit his lower lip. A kiss was good no matter with who you shared it with?

When he kissed the Ryuzaki girl, it was a sorrowful mix of lips and saliva. No feelings other than trying to be his best (which he failed at) and having his lips bruised. She wasn't smiling like an idiot and wasn't week in the knees afterward.

No. His kiss with Sakuno hadn't been good at all.

Atobe smiled with a knowing look. "Two 12 years old kissing isn't good. It's practice. When I kissed Fuji, _that_ was hot."

"You don't know anything!" Ryoma burst out, blushing ferociously.

Did he feel shock because someone who was nothing more than an acquaintance to him knew about his private life or was it because he couldn't stand imagining his sempai kissing another guy?

Atobe smirked proudly. "Of course I know. _You_ don't. You're in pure denial."

"Che. What would you know that I wouldn't?" Ryoma gritted through his teeth. When did the conversation start to annoy him that much?

"Want me to show you?" Atobe proposed, eyeing the younger boy with anticipation.

When had he advanced that much? He was way too close for Ryoma to feel comfortable.

"Mada mada dane."

And why would Ryoma never shut up?

Those were all the questions that Ryoma asked himself when demanding lips claimed his owns.

This time around, Ryoma didn't know how to react. In contrast, Atobe seemed pretty sure of himself. Hesitantly, Echizen kissed back.

Not because he liked the boy. Because he wanted to know if it would be better…

Goddamn it was.

It didn't mean he liked the boy. A kiss was supposed to be good, Atobe had said.

When the diva pulled away, Ryoma felt suddenly at lost. His head was foggy. And he was smiling like an idiot.

Atobe smirked once again. "There. Now, you know."

It took a couple of seconds for Echizen to find his voice and reply:

"I'm not gay!"

Atobe shrugged. "Didn't say you were."

With a last disinterested look to the younger boy, Atobe turned away to take something in his pocket.

Echizen's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing?"

"Sending a message to Oshitari to warn him that we tied," Atobe answered matter-of-factly.

Ryoma watched wordlessly as Atobe put his cell phone back in his pocket. They tied. Ryoma wasn't anything more than a point to go into tiebreak.

Not too long after, the soft buzzing was heard and Atobe took out his cell phone to read the reply. "Moving on to Rikkai, eh?"

And there were lots of point to be played in a tiebreak… "I correct whatever I said, Monkey King."

Atobe stopped moving to land his eyes on the Seigaku Regular's face, a bit of curiosity shining in his eyes.

"You're not gay," Ryoma declared in a bored tone, making Atobe smirk.

Ryoma wore a smug smile, though it was tense. "You're not gay. You're stupid."

"How dare you…" Atobe's eyes twitched. Atobe's mouth twitched too.

Ryoma didn't budge. "Sanada will skin you alive if you kiss him."

The statement was true enough and Atobe pondered it for a moment before shrugging. "Ore-sama is not an idiot. Ore-sama is _brave_."

"Oh yeah?" Ryoma taunted. "Then prove it. I dare you to kiss me again."

Atobe's eyes widened before narrowing under furrowed brows. "May I hear that again?"

"I said- Show how brave you are and kiss me," Ryoma challenged again.

Atobe shook his head with a chuckle. "Kid, and you accuse me of being gay?"

"I'm not gay!" Ryoma protested, flushing lightly. "You said a kiss was good no matter who is it you kissed, right? If I don't like you, I'm not gay."

Before he could add another word, hot lips were already coming back to his, like a magnet.

Once again, Ryoma felt like he was flying, melting and exploding all at once. All too soon, it was over.

Ryoma stared at Atobe with a distant look. "You know what… maybe you're not a complete idiot."

He closed his mouth, and looked uncertain of whatever else he might say.

"There's more to it," Atobe stated in a serious tone.

Ryoma shrugged, trying to sound indifferent. "And perhaps…"

"Perhaps," Ryoma repeated, taking a deep breath, "There would be a slightest chance that I'm not completely heterosexual. Maybe even that..."

The words were stuck in his throat and Atobe smirked. "Yeah, I know. Everyone wants to date me."

"Mada mada..."

Ryoma was interrupted by Atobe "...Dane, I know. But you still have a lot to work on yourself. You see, when you open your mouth too fast, teeth are bound to knock..."

And of course, because Ryoma shot him a disbelieving look, Atobe assumed that he needed to be shown-

But kisses are good no matter what, as long as it's Atobe Keigo, Ryoma would say.

* * *

_Didn't really know where to end it… I hope it's okay like that. Aren't you under the impression that... it stinks? Snape surely is. And I surely am. _

_Please review and tell me! (Awinkins can't sue me, no she can't)_

_Damn I'm insane..._

_**In the next episode:**_

_I don't really know... I feel like writing something related to Harry Potter. Will probably contain spoilers. There will be a warning._


	21. Deathly Week

**Deathly Week**

_Warning: Contain spoilers for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. If you haven't read it, read it now. You have no excuse whatsoever! (And if you're poor, I can email you an illegal version… but shhh)_

* * *

**Monday- 5 pm**

"Hey, brat. Do you want to go eat out with me tonight?"

The request was just to look good. Ryoma never rejected an offer to be bought dinner-

"Can't. I'm mourning."

-usually.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Keigo said, his voice losing any arrogance it had held a second ago. "Who is it?"

Ryoma didn't respond right away.

"You don't know her," he answered at last, with a small snort. "Try calling me tomorrow."

Atobe nodded even if Ryoma couldn't see him. When he hung up, he swore that the next day, he'd cheer Ryoma up and take him somewhere fun.

**Tuesday- 3:30 pm**

"Hello, may I talk to Ryoma please?"

"HE'S DEAD!"

Keigo had the impression that his heart dropped in his chest. "What?"

"Mad-Eye's dead!"

This time, Keigo recognized his lover's voice and exhaled a grateful breath. "Do you want to go to an amusement park?"

He felt the hesitations- pretty much, the pause in Ryoma's sobbing.

"I can't," Ryoma finally replied. "Constant vigilance."

**Wednesday- 3 PM **(Let's say school is over by now XD)

Atobe's black limo parked in front of Seishun Gakuen Middle School.

"Thanks."

Atobe stepped out and immediately spotted his boyfriend. In a flash, he was beside the sad looking teen, pulling him in his arms.

"It's alright, love. I'm sure they both found peace. How about we-"

"Sorry, Keigo," Ryoma murmured, detangling himself from the warm embrace. "I left when they said they would bury Dobby. I have to see it…"

Atobe was slightly shocked at the third refusal (and surprised at the third death). He forced a gentle and reassuring smile onto his face. "I understand."

**Thursday**-

Atobe didn't even bother. He always considered himself a great boyfriend (a great _everything_ would be more accurate, to be true); if Ryoma wanted some time alone, he would have it.

Atobe never denied anything to those he cherished.

**Friday- 1:30 pm**

Friday however found the rich heir waiting rather impatiently on the Echizens' doorstep.

"I came to see-"

Nanako cut him with a shake of the head. "He's in his bedroom crying. When I entered to bring him his lunch, he gripped my shirt and wailed about a certain Snape who didn't deserve to die.

"Come back later, Keigo-san," she added when he opened his mouth to protest.

Before the clock rang 6 o'clock, Keigo was ringing yet again at Ryoma's house. This time, he carried a large box wrapped in expensive paper gift.

"I_need_ to see your son," the diva demanded as greeting when Nanjiroh pulled the door open.

The latter man shrugged. "The sentimental fool is still locked up in his bedroom, but go ahead."

Atobe nodded before hastily climbing the stairs. Echizen Ryoma would _not_ push his brilliant self away anymore. Keigo would force him to find comfort on his more than welcoming shoulder.

He knocked on the door as weakly as possible in his current annoyed state- after all, the poor boy was mourning.

No response.

He tried again, a bit louder. "Ryoma, Ore-sama came to see you and I'd appreciate that-"

"Busy."

Atobe twitched. "Ore-same _orders_ you to open that door."

Ryoma didn't even reply.

"Now," Keigo warned, anger building up in him. "Or I'll break your door."

A distinct groan answered his threat. Ten seconds later, Keigo had his boyfriend in front of him. A very tired looking boyfriend.

"Wha'd'you 'want?" The small boy muttered, glaring at the intruder with his tearful swollen eyes.

"You can't avoid me anymore brat," Keigo declared importantly. "I'm taking you-"

Ryoma slammed the door in the diva's face without warning. Said diva stared incredulously at the obstacle between him and the impudent boy, his jaw hitting the floor (metaphorically).

"If you're not at my house in an hour, begging for my forgiveness, we're over!" Atobe yelled, kicking the innocent door in frustration.

Once more, only silence echoed.

--

Thirty minutes later, Echizen stood on Fuji's doorstep, a book held tenderly against his chest.

"Ah, Echizen," Fuji greeted him. "Finished already?"

Ryoma gave him a wry smile. "I had to hurry myself near the end because stupid Keigo has gone mad."

"You had to expect it," Fuji smiled, accepting the book Ryoma gave him back. "You saw the way Kunimitsu reacted when I neglected him last week, for the same reason…"

"No, I…"

Ryoma interrupted himself, his brows rising on his forehead before falling back in a frown. "_You_ were the cause for all those laps!"

"Saa," Fuji grinned evilly. "_J.K. Rowling_ was."

Ryoma rolled his eyes at the strange logic. "Anyway, I ought to be going. Need to be forgiven by Mister Drama Queen."

"Flatter his ego," Fuji suggested before closing the door on Ryoma (who had already turned away).

--

"I'm sorry," Ryoma bluntly announced the moment Atobe faced him. "And you really are the best thing alive."

Atobe frowned. "Is there something better than Ore-sama in death?"

Ryoma blinked. "I hadn't meant it that way, but… maybe Severus Snape."

Atobe blinked.

And Ryoma lost his chances of being easily forgiven when Atobe learned that his boyfriend preferred a _book_ over him.

Not that the torture bothered him that much…

* * *

_**Please review?**_

_Anyway… Why Severus Snape? Because I love him. And so does the person who signed the 200__th__ review. _


	22. Water Park

_More AtoRyo! Yay! Did anyone notice the major improvement of fic's quality on the fandom lately? __And Royal Love is –definitively- spreading! _

Review Reply for alaine_: Harry Potter is just awesome X3_

_Thanks for the idea, Empress Satori!_

* * *

**-Water Park-**

"Echizen! I'm taking you to the water park for your birthday!" Atobe declared, grinning smugly.

Echizen stared at the boy, wondering if he was still dreaming.

"Monkey King, it's not..."

Atobe smirked as the second year mumbled unclear words. The Seigaku regular's protestations were cut by a sleepy yawn from boy wonder himself.

"Don't worry," Atobe said, arrogance lacing his voice. "Ore-sama is just generous that way."

"You don't understand, I…"

The diva waved the arguments away. "Go get your swim suit and prepared to be awed by my muscular body."

During a long moment, Ryoma did nothing but glare at the teenager before sighing. "Whatever you want."

--

"Who told you it was my birthday today?" Ryoma inquired while the limo drove them to whatever wonderful water park the ex-Hyoutei captain was taking him.

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "You thought I would forget?"

"Monkey King," Ryoma growled, folding his arms in annoyance. "It's not…"

"I came across Fuji and Kikumaru talking," Atobe confessed with a shrug. "Kikumaru said that I should quit making advances to you."

The diva paused, the time to snort- Echizen knew him enough to see 'Like Ore-sama did anything of the sort' flashing in his eyes.

"And Fuji said that you wouldn't even talk to me since I would forget to celebrate your special day, today."

Ryoma would have sweat dropped, really. "Atobe, you…"

"I'm sorry I didn't mark it down," Atobe apologized, rolling his eyes. "But I'm taking you out to have fun!"

"Fuji-senpai is…"

"In my school," the high school student supplied with a smirk. "Did you forget?"

Ryoma groaned, pulling down his cap so Atobe wouldn't catch his look of pure exasperation.

If the diva wanted to interrupt him every time he opened his mouth, he would monologue the rest of the ride.

--

"And I'm quite surprised that no one else seemed to find it important that you're turning fourteen," Atobe ranted while Echizen was trying to enjoy the water slide in peace. "They are your old team mates after all and…"

"Shut _up_," Ryoma hissed, his mood definitively killed. God, he hated the boy.

"I know you must be upset, but you could at least enjoy the sunny day and the refreshing water and the brilliant company," Atobe stated with a charming smile.

Ryoma shot him a murderous glare. "I'm TRYING to, you stupid rambler!"

"What do you mean, stupid rambler? Ore-sama is just expressing his noble point of view," Atobe huffed, sending the boy an outraged look.

"You are worse than Shinji," Ryoma countered, his glare intensifying. "And you won't even let me have a say in your speech!"

"I didn't expect you to contradict me, ungrateful brat," Atobe said, eyeing the boy warily. "Because you know I'm right and…"

"NO!"

Echizen had screamed and people were staring at them. Not that he cared. "You are wrong, Monkey King."

"What?" Atobe blinked, his jaw dropping. "And on what point, exactly?"

Echizen closed his eyes and counted to ten. "On the entire line. My birthday is on December 24th."

Atobe's eyes grew wide in stupor before narrowing. "You're lying."

"I'm not!" Ryoma scowled.

"Your birthday is today. I've heard them say it," Atobe argued, frowning in distaste.

Ryoma shrugged. This was ridiculous. "Maybe you heard wrong, Monkey King."

"I did not! Ore-sama _knows_ your birthday is not on Christmas Eve!"

Ryoma twitched. "Atobe, I think _I_ would know when I was born… And it's not in August."

Atobe was about to protest but thought better of it. "Then why is today your special day?"

Ryoma grunted. "I don't know, I…"

He stopped and a blush crept on his cheeks. "No way he remembered _that_…"

"What?" Atobe questioned, curiosity having the better of his vexation. "So today _is_ your special day then?"

Ryoma ignored the question. He knew from experience that Fuji probably decided it a great day to tell _everyone_. "I'm going to kill him."

In a flash, he vanished, leaving only dust behind him.

"Fast…" Atobe stated, totally unfazed. "And pretty stupid."

He laughed loudly, picturing to himself the moment when Ryoma would regain his senses- and realize he had left his clothes on the picnic table and was running towards the town in swim suit.

Picking up his cell phone, he dialled Fuji number to warn him that the boy was coming to him with an amusing bloodlust.

Certainly Fuji would be clever enough to get his camera in time.

--

When Ryoma arrived at Fuji's doorstep, he was so pissed off that he didn't even notice the black limo at the corner of the street.

"How. Many. People. Did. You. TELL!?!" He yelled the moment the door cracked open.

"Erm… I think you want to talk to Aniki," Yuuta guessed, opening the door fully.

Ryoma didn't bother to make excuses. "Yeah. Thanks."

He hurried inside and directed himself where he could see a frail form shuffling in a box.

"Fuji-senpai," he called angrily. "Who knows!?"

Before he knew it, he was blinded by a threatening light.

"Great," Fuji declared before putting his camera back where it belonged. "And what are you referring to, Echizen?"

"The dare you gave me last year," Echizen growled, jabbing his finger in Fuji's chest. "The one you requested as a _departure gift_."

Fuji smiled. "Don't worry, Echizen. I didn't tell a soul you kissed Kaidoh…"

"Not that!" Ryoma screeched, his features twisting in disgust in recollection. "The one YOU gave me!"

"I'm not sure I remember, Echizen," Fuji said innocently.

"You made me call Atobe!" Ryoma gritted through his teeth. "Did you tell anyone?"

Fuji shook his head.

"I think I recall you cursing me and holding a phone, but the memory is very vague… Was it very embarrassing?"

Ryoma glared at Fuji. "You know it was, for me."

"Perfect," Fuji cheered, nodding in delight. "What was it about? I can't believe I forgot about it…"

An evil aura could actually be seen around the Seigaku Regular. When the boy spoke, it was in a mimic of Fuji's voice. "_I've got the perfect challenge for you, Echizen. Just call Atobe Keigo and confess your undying love for him_. I'm sure you wrote it in your diary so you wouldn't forget!"

"You're right, I did," Fuji admitted, tilting his head slightly. "I do recall I wrote- 'I wonder if Echizen might have something for Atobe'"

"You knew I did," Ryoma snapped. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been that amused by it."

"So you loved Ore-sama?"

Ryoma rolled his eyes and sighed. "And they call you a genius? I just told you!"

Except it wasn't the 'genius' who had spoken… paling, Ryoma finally inspected his surroundings.

Sure enough, Atobe was sitting on a couch, not too far from him.

"Monkey King," Ryoma acknowledged. "What are you doing here?"

Atobe smirked. "When I called Fuji about the situation, he told me to join him… He promised me a really interesting discussion."

"I…"

"It's a pity I never got your message," Atobe mused aloud.

Ryoma bit his lips. "It wasn't…"

"Must be due to the bunch of filters we have," Atobe reflected, cutting Echizen once again.

"Maybe, but…"

"You still could have told me," the diva scolded lightly. "We did see each other quite often on various tennis courts."

"Well, I…"

"Enough talking," Atobe declared. "I'll take you home. I have lot of things to do."

"Why would…"

"Please, be quiet," the taller boy sighed loudly. "Thanks for having us, Fuji."

"My pleasure. I'll have the picture ready for Monday."

Ryoma didn't even try to get a word in.

--

It turned out that Atobe did have lot of things to do the evening.

The moment he got home, he fired his secretary, cancelled the reservations for a private circus (meant to amuse Ryoma), sent over the giant cake to his cousin who was graduating (shushing the equally giant amount of protestations Ryoma had) and had the menu redone.

All that in a grand total of five minutes.

"Why are you running around like you have bears after you, Monkey King?" Ryoma questioned, trying to sound indifferent.

Atobe had smirked. "Buying time for today's priorities."

--

"What are we going to do now?"

"Anything but talk," Atobe answered.

--

All too soon, the evening was gone.

"You know, you aren't half-bad when you aren't talking," Ryoma muttered, resting his head against Atobe's toned chest.

The latter one didn't answer; he was deeply asleep.

Nuzzling closer to follow the boy's exemple, Ryoma wished that Atobe Keigo would prepare a day just as perfect for his birthday.

* * *

_Tada! How was it?_

_Do I still have to beg for reviews? XD Just in case... please review?_


	23. Is This My Fate?

_So long, so long since I had the time to write something! Well, I just can't let it be anything else than AtoRyo now, can I?_

* * *

**Is this my fate?**

"Is this my fate?"

The question came naturally toon Echizen Ryoma's lips. While he stood still in complete darkness, the only thing he was able to do was to wonder about the glowing thread that was arrogantly obstinately tied around his pinky.

Much to his surprise, a snarky voice rose out to answer him. "Surely you didn't forget about the Red Thread of Fate, did you?"

Ryoma froze- this quiet voice that he knew all too well… there was no way in hell it could be.

He narrowed his cat-like eyes to make out his vis-à-vis features. Sure enough, there it was, like he always saw it in mirrors: the smug golden eyes, the smooth black and greenish hair and the thin mouth twisted in a smirk.

"Alright. This is officially a dream," Ryoma sighed, half in annoyance and half in boredom. Noticing how things were fake always made the excitation die down, at least in the boy's case.

However, once that he knew he had full control over the world he was in, things started to brighten. The reality twisting to content his wishes, the two Ryomas were transported to the Echizen's household. The sleeping teen travelled his gaze around his house, noting with a strange glee all the imperfections to it- for instance, there was no television in the kitchen, nor was the kitchen equipped with a bed. But even then, the Echizen son felt at home.

Mirroring the fictional Ryoma, he smirked. "What now?"

Dream-Ryoma shrugged with irritation. "How should I know? You weren't supposed to discover this was a dream yet. It ruins the purpose of everything."

The tennis player felt his smile widen, cockiness lifting his stance. "Mada mada dane."

And he watched his own face darken in frustration, glaring at him- a very weird situation, if you asked. Perhaps that having himself (or at least a copy of himself) glaring daggers at him disturbed him a great deal, because there was no other valuable reason he'd say something like…

"So what about the Red Thread of Fate?"

A flick of surprise flashed through the fake Ryoma, but it didn't last. Self-assurance grew over the pale boy's face when he started explaining the importance of the dream and all that gibberish.

"…and I'm sure you remember the meaning of the Red Thread of Fate," he concluded after he was done with his little speech.

With an ironic laugh, Ryoma nodded.

Even four years after his graduation from middle school, he still recalled perfectly everything.

--

_It was sunny. __It Ryoma's neck was wet from the tears of Sakuno on his neck. It The atmosphere was dark from the look on Horio's face, when he told him that there was no way he'd stay friends with him. His finger was red and painful, from the fact that Osakada had knotted some red string around it, telling him about of soul mates…_

--

"So this links me to the one I'm destined to spend the rest of my days with?" Ryoma inquired, without the slightest bit of interest.

"Of course."

Ryoma rolled his eyes. "And how would you make me believe that?"

His clone took an offended air (Ryoma made a mental note to never use such a face) and scowled. "My job is to take you to the person that is tied to the other end of that thread. Why would I lie?"

Ryoma shrugged, composing a distant expression. "Show me, then."

A victorious smile crept on his double. "Upstairs we go."

--

"So long…" Ryoma groaned, glaring at the never-ending stairways. He was pretty sure the stairway in his house weren't that excruciating. "Are we there yet?"

"Mada mada dane."

And suddenly, a massif massive door in gold appeared in front of them.

"Don't be a wimp," his guide taunted haughtily. "Open it."

Ryoma blinked, ordered his hand to grab the doorknob, but no move was made.

"I can't," he said finally.

The other Ryoma raised a slender brow. "You can do anything here."

"I can't," Ryoma repeated, more firmly this time. "I already know, anyway."

Alright, so he wasn't sure he would be spending his old days with the Monkey King- what difference did that make? He didn't want to just wake up and say 'Hey, sorry, but I dreamt that you weren't my soul mate. Actually, Fuji is, so let's break up.'

"No, you don't," Ryoma number two2 argued, still looking as smug as ever.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "I won't open it."

_I know who__m I want to be with, and that's enough…_

"I can't force you to," sighed his twin, with the exact same tone Ryoma used when Keigo was being a pain.

"Of course you can't," Ryoma scoffed. "I'm not a romantic person and you won't have me believing in that rubbish."

"Yet you believe Atobe Keigo is the One for you," Ryoma number two2 remarked wittily.

Ryoma had nothing to reply to that- it wasn't a claim he could deny.

"It's my job to make sure you know who the One for you is," his annoying self added when the silence became too heavy.

"Do something else. Paint toenails or become a fulltime ninja."

His double contemplated the idea for a moment, before sighing. Probably duty calls. "Next dream, maybe. I won't get paid if you don't discover who stands behind that door. And you ought to wake up soon."

Sure enough, Ryoma felt a far-away feeling… his body was becoming more alert each second.

"Too bad I have no intention of finding out anything," Ryoma stated coolly.

"I know that much," dream-Ryoma replied just as coldly. "That's why I'll open it for you."

Gaping, Ryoma stared at his twinish twin-like hallucination, silently daring him to act out his threat.

When he did reach the doorknob, Ryoma first reflex was to close his eyes tightly.

In his mind, he visualized every good time he had with Keigo, every kiss they shared, every laugh they had… He could picture every feature, every smooth line and every flaw on the usually perfect skin of his boyfriend.

He could even hear the silky voice ring in his eardrums softly.

'_Open your eyes.'_

From the shock, Ryoma's eyes shot open- was he also starting to hear things?

"Good boy. I'm running late."

Ryoma rubbed his eyes before taking another look. "Keigo?"

"Since I'm leaving for two weeks, I thought I couldn't leave without saying goodbye. Sorry I woke you up," Atobe explained with a smile.

"So… we're not in a dream?"

Atobe stared oddly at Ryoma before laughing. "Isn't Ore-sama just too good to be true? Good morning, Ryoma."

He bent over to trap softly the younger man lips into a kiss. While he questioned himself about the significance of his dream, Ryoma quickly melted into the burning passion.

Since when did he care about things like dreams and fate, anyway?

All too soon, their moment was over and Keigo was readjusting his tie. "Time to go."

Ryoma gave a curt nod, not wanting to anticipate just how much he'd miss his lover.

"See you in two weeks."

That was really much.

"Ne, Keigo," he called quietly before the man had the time to leave. "I had this dream…"

"What about?" His counterpart asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Ryoma smiled wearily. "It wasn't that important, Monkey King…"

It didn't have any importance at all, really. He loved Atobe Keigo and wished to be with him until he dropped dead: what was left to figure out?

* * *

_I killed the parasitic fluff! -grins- Well, there's still a lot left. Review are cherised.  
_


	24. Happy Birthday?

_Hey! I just want to see how many words it takes to get you guys to like my oneshots- here we go! I'll try to write less and less words in the following oneshots to test it! xD_

**-Happy Birthday?-**

"I can't believe you forgot Ore-sama's birthday!!!"

Ryoma winced at the loudness of his boyfriend. "Shut up, Monkey King. I didn't forget it, you kept reminding me everyday."

"You didn't even call me," Atobe fumed, rightfully glaring at the small boy in front of him.

Said boy only shrugged. "You have other friends. I doubt it makes a big difference that I didn't bother to do something special."

The heartlessness of it made Atobe explode in rage. "Busy! All of them! You should have cared, brat!"

Echizen smirked. "You could have rented a couple of friends to throw a party for the day. You're not that tight on money, are you?"

--

"You told him what?!" Gakuto exclaimed, jaw falling to the floor.

Ryoma ignored him. "Keigo is furious as hell, but at least he is not expecting any surprise party."

"Of course he isn't," Yuushi spoke, rolling his eyes. "His birthday was last week and we made it clear that we weren't going to celebrate it."

"Kei-kun will love the surprise!" Jiroh cheered at his own declaration, a grin spread on his face.

Everyone else sweat dropped- except Ryoma, who glared at the red haired.

"As I was saying," Ryoma uttered while still throwing Jiroh dark looks, "that diva is so upset that when you'll scream 'Surprise', he'll probably make the most hilarious face a monkey can make."

"And then I catch a picture," Fuji stated pleasantly.

Shishido sneered. "Oh, Atobe will love it."

"I hope the cake I baked will be good," Choutarou meekly voiced, his mouth twisting in worry.

"As a matter of fact it will, Choutarou," Shishido sighed- but couldn't repress the smile.

Ryoma eyed everybody carefully before nodding. "Perfect. Monkey King will get a birthday he can be awed of."

"One week late," Yuushi added.

Ryoma glared. "He'll get a fabulous birthday anyway."

"And you'll get some sex," Gakuto teased with a snicker.

Every boy in the room laughed (you know, whatever they want to look like, they are still boys. So sex is funny.)

Hiyoshi said nothing.

"But, Echizen, won't Kei… Atobe feel like you're just making up a lame excuse to calm him down?" Jiroh questioned, head cocking to the side.

Ryoma frowned. "Baka Monkey King isn't that stupid…"

--

"SURPRISE!!!"

Atobe Keigo was a lot of things. He was a handsome tennis player, only heir of an important Company President, captain of Hyoutei Tennis Club, boyfriend of Echizen Ryoma- Seigaku's infuriating brat…

But more than anything, he was very surprised.

And blinded by the flash of Fuji's camera.

"What…?"

Oh no, he was even rendered speechless!

"Echizen organized this," the spiky haired boy from Seigaku informed him. "So young and cute!"

"Ryoma did?" Atobe articulated, emotion tightening his throat. "Where is he?"

Yet again, they surprised him, this time by displaying the same knowing smile all at once.

Languorously, a voice rose from the back of the room, soon followed by its appealing –and very red- owner.

"_Happy birthday, Mister President…"_

Atobe choked at the sight of his lover making his way toward him slowly, wearing nothing but black boxers and a tie. In his hands was a delicious looking cake, and birthday boy found himself wondering which of the two would be tastier.

"Happy birthday, Keigo," Ryoma whispered when the gap between them was small enough.

Atobe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I have never seen anything like this."

"I suppose so," Ryoma agreed with a smirk. "As the King of Monkeys, you surely have experienced nothing but expensive celebrations."

With lots of efforts, Atobe bit back the argument at the tip of his tongue. "It's really great," he confessed instead. "Even I can't buy something as wonderful. Thanks, brat."

"You're welcome."

Ryoma thought a moment before adding:

"I had to bring it up to your level, after all."

--

"Second kick ass line today," Gakuto murmured with raised eyebrows. "I bet he doesn't talk much just so he will sound cooler when he speaks them."

"Pff," Shishido snorted. "The first one was nothing but bratty."

Gakuto rolled his eyes theatrically. "But both of them kicked Atobe's ass!"

Shishido groaned in agreement.

"I tell you, the boy is going to get good sex tonight."

Choutarou seemed troubled by the declaration. "He's only twelve!"

"So what? I…"

Yuushi stopped Gakuto from speaking further. "I forbid you to say anything."

A heavy silence fell on the group.

"You know," Jiroh finally said, "If Echizen gets his share tonight, maybe he'll let us love Kei-kun in peace."

"Gekokujou."

--

_Ta-da! Happy belated birthday, Kei-chan darling!_

_757 words… -- How can Awin-chan write oneshots so short yet so good?_

_Pretty please review? (For the purpose of science? xD)  
_


	25. Be my Santa

_First, thanks for reading my crappy oneshots, even though I mostly overload them with fluff xD_

_Second, thanks for reading this author note, even if it's not –important-._

_Third, thanks for reviewing, favouring me or criticising my work._

_Lastly, thanks for encouraging me becoming better._

_This is a gift for everyone who wants it.Especially for darling Awin-chan, who shares my sadness of the slow death of AtoRyo on the fandom...TT _

_Anyway, all of you, enjoy! _

* * *

**-****Be my Santa - **

Ryoma felt his eyelids close drowsily as he gazed at the snow that gently covered Tokyo. December knew just how to introduce Christmas to everyone, he mused. No words could explain the endearing beauty the place got once it got all white.

Admiring sleepily the snowflakes dance between their way between the sky and the ground: that's what Ryoma was doing at the exact moment when an annoying tune rang, coming from his cellphone.

Actually, it was more Atobe's phone than it was his own, but the diva had insisted he had it. Keigo even went as far as to program the worst song ever to be sure the brat would answer when called.

Answer he did.

"Monkey King," he sighed wearily into the tiny thing, finally removing his eyes from the window in order to focus on the conversation. "What do you want?"

There was a snort before a haughty voice replied. "I'll get straight to the point, then. I want a Christmas gift from you. You will make it yourself."

Ryoma rolled on his back, giving his interlocutor a humourless laugh. "Yeah, right."

"It wasn't a question. We've been dating for three years; you can't pretend to forget anymore."

"Hey, it's not my fault," the tennis prodigy protested, scoffing. "You get me drunk the day before… every single time."

When Atobe retorted, the smirk was evident in the older boy's voice.

"Heh, I was offering you great nights as a birthday gift."

His mind functioning with extra speed, Ryoma searched for some counter attack.

With all the practice he got whenever he challenged the diva, it didn't take too long.

"And I gave myself to you each of these nights… as your Christmas gift."

"I want something I can be awed of, this year. Heard me?"

Ryoma smiled. Of course his lover wouldn't be affected by his previous sentence, even less blush. Sometimes, Ryoma wondered if Keigo forbid himself to act shy or to blush, simply because that's what _Sakuno_ did.

"Alright… but don't forget you're going out with a mere commoner."

And with that, Ryoma hung up so he could resume his former activity- there were still many snowflakes to watch.

--

"Atobe, why did you even ask him that?" Shishido narrowed his eyes at his friend, not understanding the logic inside the boy's brain. "It's Echizen. _Echizen_."

The grey haired boy breathed out a suffering sigh but did not answer. He, himself, wondered why he hoped the brat would give him anything. Gracefully sitting into his overly large couch, he rested his head in his hands.

"Hope," he hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "Good ol' hope. There's a voice in my heart saying, go ahead, Keigo, you have the right to request this small favour…"

Shishido eyebrows raised high on his forehead; didn't Atobe believe he had EVERY right?

Fortunately, his vis-à-vis had his head buried in his palms and couldn't see the mocking surprise on his teammate's features.

Upon seeing his comrade so miserable, Shishido shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Why do you even care? You have all the money in the world to buy you whatever you need… no, scratch that, to fulfill you're most ridiculous whim!"

This did not seem to cheer up Atobe at all. "But I want HIM to offer me something!"

Here we go again, Shishido grunted. Why was he friend with the drama queen again?

Oh, yeah.

He was quite fond of drama himself.

"Well, if he doesn't give you anything, break up with him. That way, he'll realize your importance!"

An indistinct groan answered him and he could only make out a few insulting words. Not taking offence the least, he demanded his interlocutor to repeat himself.

"I said: I already tried that. The first year."

Shishido couldn't help but bursting out laughing. And then he gave some lame advices to his companion, while believing none of it. Atobe didn't seem to listen much anyway, so that's why the capped boy gaped in surprise when Keigo shot up and declared, "You're right!"

And then, Shishido wondered what he was right for.

--

"Stop it, Karupin! You bad, very bad kitty!"

Nanjiroh chuckled lightly, knowing that Ryoma didn't scold his cat often. The mood was pleasant, jovial even. For once, Rinko was home for the day and vowed her free time to nothing but housework and married mother life.

"Son!" the man yelled, a grin itching his mouth. "Come downstairs for a family bonding session!"

He waited some second before the boy simply shouted back a "Can't!" that unsealed the annoying part of the father.

"Kid, you've been locked up in your bedroom for a week already! Throw whatever you've been doing aside!"

No reply.

The old man patience decreased oh so very much. "I order you to do so, brat!"

"I already have orders," Ryoma informed him, groaning inwardly. Why was everything so hard in the first place?

Staring at his lousy work, he wished the monkey king continued abusing is wealth and just left him alone already.

But fair was fair. Atobe Keigo did deserve a gift… though Ryoma wasn't sure he deserved something as bad as what he was fabricating.

'_Oh well. He asked for it'_

Hours later, a loud "DONE!" echoed through the Echizens household, making Nanjiroh smile softly… he hoped that Keigo would at least appreciate the effort his offspring put into it, whatever the thing was.

One more day till Christmas.

--

_Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way_

_Oh what fun is it to ride in a one horse open sleigh, eh!_

I'm nervous as hell, I want to curl up and die.

It was the first sentence that would come to Ryoma's mind every single time a maid came to him and questioned him on whether he was fine, if the mood was alright and, did he like the appetizers?

God, why wasn't Keigo already by his side?

His grasp firm on his awkwardly wrapped package, Ryoma counted the minutes.

_Rudolph the red-nose reindeer… had a very shiny nose_

Damn Christmas carols. His boyfriend should come, Ryoma would embarrass himself by giving him his crappy gift and then they'd throw a party because Ryoma was now sixteen.

"Ryo-chan."

Instantly, the boy looked up and nodded slightly. "Monkeigo," he shot back, smirking at his newfound nickname.

Not bothering to acknowledge the appellation, the older teen glanced at the box his lover held.

This was the moment, Ryoma knew. Bowing his head, he offered his gift to Atobe, mumbling some Christmas wish, waiting for humiliation to fall upon him.

Fall it did.

"Ryoma… what is this thing?"

"The handmade gift you requested."

There was a pause where Atobe drew sharp breath out of his gorgeous person before he continued. "And you knitted me a scarf?"

A nod.

"Which I appreciate… the effort is sincere, I guess, but, orange? You went with the cheaper wool; it even has holes in it. Not to forget it's_orange_."

The short boy winced quietly. Alright, perhaps he should have chosen it another colour, but Karupin destroyed every other ball. Orange was the only survivor of his pet's attacks.

"Orange! Honestly, brat… and you didn't make up for it in quality either."

There was something about the diva's tone that hurt Ryoma.

"I told you that you could buy your own gift, you baka!"

Furiously, he threw the empty box at his beloved and stormed off.

Darn that Monkey King. If he wasn't going to say thanks, he wouldn't be seeing Ryoma for the whole vacations.

--

Dring. Dring. Dring.

A soft sigh escaped Ryoma's lips when his cellphone started ringing- yes, that's right, ringing. He had been only too blissful to change the settings of it, and now, the traditional Nokia tune purposefully aware him whenever he got a call.

"Yes?" The greeting, or lack of, sounded rude due to the fact that the boy was standing in a crowd.

Fortunately, his caller didn't seem to mind. "Brat, you've changed the tune."

Eyes widening in shock, Ryoma mentally listed every phone numbers he blocked in order to avoid his boyfriend's attempt to reason him.

Ryoma didn't like to be reasoned.

"You forgot I was incredibly rich, Ryoma," voiced Atobe smoothly, as if reading his friend's thoughts.

Said friend frowned. "Are you spying on me?"

There was a chuckle on the other line.

"Yes," Atobe finally replied, amusement clear. "Since you're being a complete, useless and immature brat, I understood I had no other way of seeing you."

"Monkey King, you're a jerk. For laughing at my scarf and for following me. Where are you, anyway?"

"In the crowd."

Echizen narrowed his eyes and exhaled a sharp breath in exasperation. "Can't you be more specific?"

"You want to see me, now?" The teenager didn't answer and his silence was interpreted as a yes. "You can't miss me. I'm wearing the ugliest scarf ever. It's orange."

Echizen Ryoma gaped audibly, and then there was this long, complete silence.

"You're smiling and you have your eyes close. Snap out of it, brat!"

"Wait," Ryoma spoke, opening his eyes to scrutinize the faces of the various boys and girls passing by. "If you saw me, then you're in front of me, somewhere…"

But he couldn't see anything orange.

"Wrong."

A hand tapped on Ryoma's shoulder, and, you've guessed it, when the boy turned around, he saw Atobe Keigo standing before him, flipping his cellphone closed.

The image rendered Ryoma speechless. Of course, Atobe seized the occasion to talk and value himself.

"You see, brat, Ore-sama doesn't need to see your face to know whenever you're smiling. And I would have appreciated it if you had the decency to hear me out completely, at Christmas, because I wasn't done…"

"Che. You love the sound of your voice too much, Keigo."

And before the older boy could take offence, Ryoma grabbed the scarf and pulled Atobe into a kiss, pouring everything he had into it.

When they broke apart, both were panting.

Though Ryoma was a bit surprise to see that his kissing mate glared at him in an annoyed way, he pretended he did not feel insulted- in only asked what the problem was, out of curiosity.

"Ryoma, I just told you I never finished my Christmas rant," Keigo gritted through his teeth. "You interrupted me and look at the damages of your actions."

Lamely, he pulled out his scarf.

Ryoma laughed throatily at first, then burst out into shaking laughter.

"It's not funny!" But Atobe seriously had to suppress a snicker. "It proves just how cheap it is. You tore the scarf apart!"

When Ryoma was able to talk again, he could only utter a small, "Yeah, so?"

That was the end of the deal.

Atobe never requested any other Christmas gift from the young Echizen, but Ryoma made a point of giving his boyfriend a scarf every December, 24th.

Why, not to irritate him, far from it:

_"I'm just too full of Christmas spirit," Ryoma smirked. _

Merry Christmas to you all!

* * *

_Don't you think a review would be great? And totally appropriate, since it's Christmas time?_


	26. Of sleepovers

Hey!

I'm pleased to tell you that, even though my (MY!) forum has been completely drowned in Thrill lately, awin-chan and I made sure that the 10 000th post was completely Royal. Isn't that awesome?

That's a good enough excuse to be writing AtoRyo! Spread it!

* * *

**-Of… sleepovers? –** Dedicated to Awin-chan and Chibisuke, who both love Royal and are both very good friends and beta

* * *

It was late. It was raining. It was lame.

And the question of the night was: "… who is running his hand on my thigh?"

Echizen Ryoma's query froze everyone in place. There was a pregnant silence that nobody intended to break, till finally-

"I thought that was Syusuke…"

Echizen blinked, his mind processing the information while automatically discarding it. Clearly, it was unlikely that the answer was provided by…

"Hands off my pure and ingenuous Ryoma, Tezuka" a haughty voice admonished, although the intonation suggested that the speaker was amused.

Thus Tezuka had _really_ been caressing Ryoma's leg.

How very disturbing.

"Pure and ingenuous?" Tezuka retorted derisively. "As your boyfriend, Echizen can't be a virgin anymore."

Echizen felt himself shrinking, as he fought to keep a self-possessed face.

"I'll surprise you, he still is." The smirk was palpable in Atobe's words, and Echizen wondered how in hell they could discuss personal topics like that. "We're waiting."

"No way. Ryoma looks like a guy who gets some." That, of course, came from Fuji Syusuke.

The dull claim caused red to overwhelm the youngster's face. The blood rushing to his cheeks was a sensation completely alien to him- to conceal his embarrassment, he opted to turn away and block out the interchange from his innocent ears.

"That's because we do _'every thing but'_," Atobe confided with a smirk.

That, he couldn't ignore. Clenching his fist in bloodlust, the small boy considered the merits of strangling Atobe.

That trivial fantasy would get him sued though. Probably would leave him short of a house, of life insurances and with debts for life. _If_ he was lucky.

In the end, Ryoma decided that hiding under the covers was the best tactic to guard himself from the madness. He growled inaudibly when the subject drifted to the hassle that 'good old gay sex' procured.

Honestly, Echizen Ryoma had by no means desired to uncover the pervy side of his esteemed buchou. Yet the knowledge refused to be neglected.

"We take turns. If Syusuke was constantly limping, it'd be suspicious. We must not let our guard down."

Whilst the data would be treasure for Inui, it was sheer mind-scarring material in Ryoma's opinion.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Ryoma muttered, hastily escaping his three friends.

A couple of seconds after, Atobe turned towards Fuji and Tezuka with a knowing smirk. "That basically translates to: 'I'm sneaking out'."

"You're not going after him?"

The loaded adolescent rested his back nonchalantly against the couch. "Why? He's free to go wherever he wants."

--

Ryoma exhaled a long, relieved sigh upon entering his house.

"Home," he said, smiling wearily.

Almost as soon as he breathed out the word, his cellphone beeped. Cursing whoever tried to get in contact with him so late, he flipped the phone open.

**One Received Text Message:**

**Recharge your patience and come back to Ore-sama. Tezuka and Fuji are driving Ore-sama insane.**

**Miss you.**

The lad frowned at the SMS. Lazily, he started typing a reply, while climbing the stairs towards his bedroom.

**Yeah, right. I'm dead tired, my eyes burn and I can barely stand. I'm going to bed; you just deal with them…**

He didn't even have time to finish it that another note came in.

**I want to see you.**

Staring at the small screen, Ryoma capitulated and typed a new message.

**I have two pieces for advice for you: 1) Kick them out and 2) come over, I'll be waiting. Bring Ponta if you want to be forgiven, Monkey King.**

And, just like that, he pushed the "Send" button. Painfully, Ryoma got up and walked over to his washroom. He knew Keigo well enough that he was certain that the rich teen would not have him waiting.

In the meantime, he'd brush his teeth- because he was also certain that he would be too busy later.

Ten minutes later, a shadow gracefully bent over his drowsy figure.

"Keigo," the boy whispered, a smile forming on his lips. "I almost got tired of waiting."

The newcomer quirked an amused brow, chuckling as he did so. "Good thing you did. I brought you a bulky box of grape Ponta."

Indeed, the man was carrying a rather oversized box and the familiar logo brought a pleased grin out of Ryoma.

Seeing the happy face as an invitation to join his beloved in bed, Atobe sat beside Ryoma and attempted getting under the covers.

He failed miserably, for Ryoma had wrapped himself tightly within all of them. An impatient sigh escaped his lips at the uncooperative way his boyfriend pulled the sheets even closer.

"I take it we're not going to do anything fun tonight?"

The boy had sincerely meant to say it lightly, but the result was kind of awkward. For answer, he received an irritated glare.

"Do I look like a guy who wants to get some?"

* * *

_Darling Chibiko-chan said I should end it here. However, if you want more Royal (I know I do), please review._

_We could also bargain. Each Royal oneshot one of you writes, I write one. How does that sound?_


	27. What Could Have Been and What Will Be

_**Author Note: **Happy Valentines Day, everyone! A bit of Royal love for you. (Not to mention the fact that I owed this oneshot to Awinchan)_

_Special thanks to Firey Chronicles, who __reviewed each and every chapters I posted… That was really lovely. n.n_

_Without forgetting awinchan and chibiko, the two best beta readers I could find D (See, Chibiko, I -didn't- make it. But y'know, I did use internet illegually)_

_And, while I'm at it, thanks to everyone who reviewed and faved me. Please, don't loose the habit of doing so! Reviews always make my day:)_

_By the way. Some chapters have been rewritten or revised, so if you have nothing to do… -winks-

* * *

_

**What Could Have Been and What Will Be**

_Sometimes, you see someone that you would like to befriend right away. For some reason, this person holds a certain attraction to you, yet you don't know why. It would just seem right for him or her to have a place in your life. Sadly, you can't go up to a stranger and tell him such things. Even if __you and him are only__ a couple of years apart and __are__ both standing in the very same tennis store, admiring a new set of rackets._

_--_

Ryoma had been dropped off at the sports shop so he could 'admire and choose' a small racket that fitted his tastes. In other words, his father had abandoned him there so he could talk with the owner of a nearby store, fully knowing his son would gladly comply. If they had one thing in common, it was the love for tennis.

Softly, Ryoma's tiny hand reached out to touch what seemed like a comfortable racket. He groaned when he realized he couldn't reach it, muttering under his breath as he tiptoed.

No such luck: he still couldn't grab it. Looking around him and realizing nobody could help him, he jumped to get that darn thing.

He was barely six years old, so little that common sense could not warn him that jumping on shelves was a bad idea. In a loud noise, every other article fell on the floor.

Hugging the racket against his chest, little Ryoma did the only think he could think of: run.

The short child ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but it was ever so useless, since the place was really big (at least to him) and it was his first time there.

Nothing could stop him though. He was scared to be grounded, because then he might be forbidden to enter the shop… and Ryoma did not want that. It all felt like paradise.

Soon he was forced to, and he wasn't given a choice. A body jumped out of nowhere into his path and Ryoma collided hardly into it. He stumbled back but did not fall. Nor did his victim fall.

"Oi, watch where you're going, brat."

Blinking at the vexed tone, the boy took a small amount of time to comprehend what had been said to him. The admonishment had been spoken in Japanese.

"Sorry," he articulated in Japanese, hoping that it didn't sound too broken. He, after all, never practiced it. But the boy he had ran into seemed to understand he was sorry.

With discreet curiosity, Ryoma analyzed the boy standing in front of him.

Of course, the first thing Ryoma noticed was a basket full of tennis supplies dangling on the boy's arm. After came the looks, like always.

Clad in expensive fabric, the Japanese boy seemed only a couple of years older. He already had grey hair though. Aside from that weird characteristic, Ryoma marvelled at the classy look the kid had. It couldn't be described in everyday language.

Ryoma wanted to reach out, just like he wanted to reach out for the stunning racket earlier. But the other didn't care much about a six-year-old, or so Ryoma thought.

Yet they could be great friends. They were both Japanese tennis players, they could play together and become rivals. The young Echizen truly needed someone else other than his dad to train with anyway.

"What's your name?" It wasn't much, it was only a try. Testing the water, as they said. Ryoma didn't want to sound eager or hopeful. Then, the stranger would think he was nothing but a silly brat wasting his time. He did not want that. So he did his best to mirror the careless act his vis-à-vis pulled off.

"Why do you ask?" The question wasn't mean, more like arrogant. It made Ryoma flinch. However, the grey-haired boy answered after a moment, "Atobe Keigo."

"Keigo," Ryoma repeated, a childish smile on his lips. "I'm Ryoma."

But, for some reasons, said Keigo did not appreciate what had just transpired.

"Don't use my first name. It's improper."

Ryoma could only nod.

He still wanted to reach out, a bit further. To him, it was only normal that after the incident, they became friends. Or even without it.

It couldn't be explained, really. Yet it was.

"Atobe, then."

The look Atobe gave him made Ryoma uneasy. Reaching out a bit further was dangerous, he reminded himself. If he messed up, he'd make a complete fool out of himself.

"If you're to call me anything, do it with respect. Call me Atobe-sama."

A small frown creased the smaller boy's brow. He had never been good with the Japan respect and hierarchy… but if his memory served him right, "sama" was way too important of a title to be labelled to an eight-year-old.

"Does that mean you're a prince or a king?"

Atobe Keigo twitched and Ryoma found himself annoyed. Why wouldn't the boy meet his eyes, at least once?

"No, brat," came the haughty reply. "But commoners like you should be polite like this."

Atobe sounded like his grandmother. Except that Ryoma's grandmother only did the chiding part—she never sounded disdainful.

"You're not a prince," Ryoma declared with arrogance, hurt at being looked down. "You're a monkey!"

Seeing the look on the high and mighty face proved one thing—Ryoma had messed up. The shorty realized that with a gulp.

When Atobe turned away from Ryoma, the latter called for him.

He still only wanted to be friends with the boy who looked like him, but in a different way.

Atobe Keigo turned back and raised a questioning eyebrow.

And, at last, their eyes met. It took Ryoma aback, without any explanations. The boy felt overwhelmed and had no reason to justify the emotion.

But when he opened his mouth, he talked calmly, though a bit cockily, and gathered six years of eloquence in a short sentence.

"We'll meet again."

Three words that didn't amaze Atobe. The older kid laughed and walked away.

Eventually, Echizen Nanjiroh came back to pick up his offspring. Rinko scolded her husband for being late and Ryoma didn't share his conversation, which was only a couple of minutes long, though it had felt like eternity.

That night, when Rinko tucked Ryoma in, the drowsy boy murmured that he'd like to know Japanese better. His mother nodded and softly asked him why, but her son didn't give her much.

"Just because."

It might come in handy, if Ryoma meets Atobe Keigo again. Next time, Ryoma would have to show some wit.

--

_But they say that what is meant to be will find its way. Ryoma doesn't know about this saying. He is too young. The only thing he knows is that he feels lonely and that, sometimes, he gets mocked for being Asian. It's not his fault, he thinks. It doesn't matter either. _

_Slowly, Echizen Ryoma stops to talk to his classmate. _

_After turning ten__, Ryoma doesn't even remember knowing anyone other than his dad and __a few worthy opponents. _

_Did he ever meet an egotistic Japanese player, in a tennis shop, once?_

_Nope, __he does__n't remember. Why do you ask?_

—

At twelve years old, Echizen Ryoma moved to Japan, where he attended Seigaku. His old man had gone there at his age.

It only felt right.

From there, many events had unfolded. He had entered the Regulars, he had played in tournaments…

And then he had met Hyoutei's captain.

Or, rather, met again. Ryoma had been surprised when the arrogance and the grey-haired rang many bells in his head. He had no idea why.

Until Seigaku rookie's eyes met the intense blue pools owned by the head of Hyoutei's tennis club.

It felt strange, too strange for words. It was right. Ryoma smirked.

"Nice to see you, Monkey King."

* * *

_It's proven. If you review instead of closing the window or backing to previous pages, you will officially make Dudly happy. -nods- _

_Do it for charity? xD_


	28. Remote Control

_Dear Readers. It has been... months since the last update? I can't quite tell. It's been a long time, that's for sure. However, I can say that I did get some writing done. Thing is, none of it was good enough. I've recently been told I lost the spark. Well, I do think there is truth in that. Where has it gone? I wouldn't know. This oneshot is the most decent I could produce out of the many I've tried (was it ten?), yet it still feels a bit messy and jumpy. I'm quite sorry for that. And, God, I'm pouring my heart in an author note. xDDDD _

_Without further delay, ladies and gentleman... _

* * *

**Remote Control- **

It was a real wonder to find out Atobe Keigo lacked anything. In fact, when he adamantly explained the trouble he had to go through every time the remote control got lost by his uncaring boyfriend, people stared at him blankly and sighed.

"Oh, Atobe."

They all thought he complained for the sake of complaining and dismissed his whining with a 'there's a genocide in Darfur right now and small children are starving'.

Atobe thinks he should send those children bread and water so people would stop telling him that and actually care about _his_ crucial problems.

--

"Ryoma, pass the remote."

Atobe sat cosily in his velvet couch, legs spread on a pouch, inches away from sleep. The fact that the on-going movie bored him to no end didn't help in any way. He had tried to like it, though. Sadly, no emotional nerve vibrated within himself as the hero works hard to prove himself to the world. Firstly, that character should get a good, professional haircut. Perhaps then he'd feel sympathy for the guy. But one couldn't walk around with that disaster on the head and wonder why he always got rejected.

On the other side of the room, Atobe realized, Echizen Ryoma watched the screen, wholeheartedly following the fictional adventures of Zaza Kuko. What a silly name too. The diva sneered, irritated when his query found no answer.

"Ore-sama demands that you kindly give the remote."

"I'm watching," Ryoma snapped impatiently, groaning for emphasis. True enough, his eyes were practically glued to the huge television. No spare glance at his host. Atobe felt himself becoming more awake as anger filled him.

"You're crashing at _my_ house, ungrateful brat!"

"You invited me." The smaller one gazed up without much interest. "Sit down, you're missing it."

No one _ever_ commanded an Atobe around. Fuming, the wealthy heir defiantly moved so to stand in front of Ryoma, thus blocking the view. "_I _give the orders. Not you."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow, unsurprisingly silent, then shrugged. His face remained stoic, unreadable, albeit annoyance threatened to slip in. "It ends soon."

"It ends now," Atobe corrected, no compromise in his voice. "He lived happily ever after. La fin."

Ultimately, an Atobe gets what he wants. It's a rule of the world, it's written in the stars, Fate dictated it.

"No," protested the stubborn thing, bringing his legs up close and glaring up at the persistent drama queen. "It ends in a couple of minutes when Kari-ko finds his letter and runs back to him, tears running down and vows of eternal love ready to be spilled. And then a train hits the main character. And then it ends."

'And then it ends'. Atobe could only stare. As his expression stayed frozen, the words echoed strangely. The first thing he could think of was how utterly crappy the ending was. Soon, that thought was followed by 'Ryoma has seen it already.'

'I just lost two hours of my valuable time' came rushing almost immediately. None of them satisfied him in the slightest. Until Ryoma got up and stretched lazily, felinely.

"I'll turn it off."

--

"But then he lost the stupid thing. Can you believe it?" Atobe's voice bit aggressively his interlocutors before they could manage to place a word in. "Just when we could skip to more serious, adult things!"

"None of you are adults yet."

"Rubbish! The thing is, if the brat didn't lose the remote control so often, we might get more sex-"

"You do realize children are starving in Africa?"

Atobe smirks, a smug chuckle escaping his lips. "I know. In fact, I sent them one of my personal planes full of bread and other food that won't spoil."

Everyone stared at him, incredulous. Atobe used the silence to resume his ranting about how easy it was to lose a remote control and how it destroyed an evening.

Genocides were _so_ overrated.

* * *

_Do I deserve a **review **for this? With a please, would it work? (I bolded the word review. That speaks of pathetic. xD)  
_

_PS: I've been starting a multi-chapter AtoRyo called "Something like Royalty". It's cliché, Ryoma is OOC. I'm scared someone will scold me for even thinking of advertising it. But, the thing is, I quite like to write it. So yeah._

_PPS: Me seriously think that 'The Adventures of Zaza Kuko' would be a great movie. _


	29. Accidents

It's been a while since I updated. This one was one of the many written for fun, except that unlike all others, it actually came out right. Can you believe that? Yeah. Neither can I.

x

**Accidents**

an AtoRyo oneshot brought to you by Dudly (who's turning seventeen on March 25th!)

x

Their first kiss had been an accident.

Really. Or at least, they both had decided to call it that after a rather ineffective debate on whose fault it was.

(It was Ryoma that had taunted Atobe about kissing skills, but it was Atobe that should not have taken the bait. It was Atobe that had leant forward, but it was Ryoma who hadn't backed off. It was Ryoma that had breathed out a 'Come on, Monkey King', but it had been Atobe's decision, ultimately. It was Atobe that kissed the boy, but Ryoma that kissed back. They didn't know which one added some tongue work. It was an accident.)

x

Their second kiss was _Fuji's_ accident.

It was some bizarre and unknown holiday, one they suspected the honey-haired boy might have made up, and the party thrown to celebrate was probably an excuse to wreck some havoc and mess with some completely normal lives.

The drinks were spiked. (Fuji's fault) Even the water, somehow. (Eiji had surely been in on it: he had brought the Evian bottles)

Atobe only drank champagne, which prevented him from being too jolly from the alcohol. However, the Ponta had the heaviest percentage of rum in it. (But not enough to make the brat passed out—either the Inui guy had been enrolled in Fuji's evil mission, or Fuji himself was smarter than Atobe had made him out to be)

Both guys ended up macking on the couch for the rest of the night, logic be damned. Atobe smelled good like expensive perfume, Ryoma smelled good like a breath of freedom in a world of rules and etiquette, and they both remembered what the first accident had tasted like.

(It was all Fuji's fault, and when they woke up, Atobe's muscles sore from the springy couch and Ryoma's head throbbing from the residing hangover, none of them mentioned it)

x

The third kiss had been Inui's accident.

For old times sake, the tall boy had organized a game of wicked fun with the threat of Inui Juice Version 123972344.

Spin the Bottle. Whoever refused to kiss the person the bottle aimed at would have to drink whatever was in the bottle. The fluorescent brown bottle. (No one had ever guessed such a colour could possibly exist)

Atobe had never cursed his luck at being Inui's roommate so much as he mentally did when he looked up from the stilling bottle to Echizen Ryoma's carefully blank face.

He kissed the now in-college boy gracefully, not even closing his eyes. Ryoma hadn't either, and the visual contact did some things to his mind, things he immediately repressed.

(For the three following days, he thought out the words WRONG and FATE and WANT, until he learnt Inui had rigged the game. That didn't shock him as much as it should have, and again, he thought the word WRONG. Wrong. Wrong. And a bit of want remained against his will.)

x

The fourth kiss had been blamed on the mistletoe. The fact that Atobe Keigo and Echizen Ryoma stood beneath it was the accident.

(Atobe had put the mistletoe there, sure, but couldn't have foreseen a sharp boy with catlike eyes walking by his bedroom door. After all, he had only put the decorations for show, since he was travelling to Paris for Christmas.)

Their kiss came out as a peck to the lips, sweetened just a bit, barely lasting a moment. (It didn't feel like an accident, not at that point.)

Ryoma never did explain why he was there in the first place.

X

The fifth kiss was definitely an accident too, except they didn't know who to blame it on. (There had to be a reason, other than 'Your lips feel good against mine' or 'I might be just a tad bit homosexual')

The taste of grape juice had to go off my mouth, Atobe offered.

Ryoma didn't mention his lips were even riper with Ponta than Atobe's were. His heart skipped a beat when Atobe shrugged off his expensive jacket to wrap it around his shivering form.

(An hour later, the jacket was taken off and thrown on the floor of the rich boy's bedroom, soon followed by every single item of clothing they had on them)

Dare. Alcohol. Threat. Ponta. The excuses from before plagued Ryoma's mind as he planted a trail of kisses down Atobe's neck.

Insanity. Hormones. The burgers they had for dinner. Potential excuses that felt immensely stupid to Atobe's ears as he intertwined his shaking fingers with Ryoma's.

"Come on, Monkey King."

They'd think about it, come morning.

-- **end**

I LOVE REVIEWS. Especially gift-wrapped one with a pretty ruban on top. :D (Hey, in 366 days I'll be major in my country!)


	30. The thing about knowledge

Royal ficcie for the love of god~ (I missed that pairing. Writing really did me some good. Can anyone rec any good AtoRyo around?)

-

**the thing about knowledge  
**

-

It hadn't been a thing at first. He had been minding his business, bouncing his tennis ball nonchalantly against one of Hyoutei's walls, early for once. His own tennis practice had been cut short - his new high school captain was nowhere near as strict as Tezuka had been, in the sweet Seigaku days. He had gotten plenty of time to come and meet Atobe Keigo in this place where neither of them belonged anymore, but that Atobe still liked to visit, to donate huge sums of money or check how the club was doing without his brilliant guidance.

It hadn't been a thing until a girl came along towards him, wearing a small smile on her rosy face. Her uniform wasn't that of Hyoutei; she seemed a bit older than Ryoma. She closed the gap between them slowly, as if he wasn't a goal, just someone she wanted to strike polite, meaningless small talk with. He let her invade his space, more because he didn't want to bother doing something about it than because he didn't mind. When she finally stilled, she was only few inches away. He glanced at her without moving his head or turning, observed the constant twirling she was putting her brown hair through.

She didn't address him for a few minutes, until he grew annoyed and pivoted to face her. Then, her face broke into a grin.

"I knew it was you!"

Baffled, Ryoma's level of eloquence dropped down a few notches: "What?"

"You're the one always hanging with Atobe-sama! I couldn't really tell but now that I see you clearly, it's all pretty obvious. You're him." She was actually clapping her hands, delighted. "I've always wanted to meet you. Well, no, not really you _you_, but the one."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ryoma said at length, keeping his tone neutral.

"This is going to sound crazy. And intrusive, maybe."

Ryoma gave her the 'no shit' look, not feeling safe to ask her to get on with it. It occurred to him that she might be one of those fangirls Atobe kept bragging about. Although he had yet to see one as a proof, maybe the monkey king hadn't made it up.

"I need you to tell me something about Atobe Keigo."

--

-

What he had learnt in the three years of hanging around one of Japan's cockiest upper-class kid didn't surpass the amount of things he had not learnt, the things he still didn't know.

He knew, for instance, that Keigo didn't really like fancy food best, but that he really wished he did, if only for his parents' sake. He knew about the weird tacos cravings the boy had every once in a year. He knew that silk was Atobe's most cherished fabric in the history of time, and he knew why: it kept him warm in winter and cool in summer. He knew that Atobe preferred to be transported in the limo—of course—but, surprise, surprise, it was above all things so he could rest comfortably between his various appointments.

He doesn't know what Atobe really wants to be later on, what he wants his life to seem like when he'll engage a biographer to write it down for more people to be awed by his prowess. He doesn't know how happy Atobe is with his life.

-

--

Because he said nothing, the girl had launched herself into a tirade, explaining how it would be nice for him to please, please, deign give him just a small piece of information about the boy.

Ryoma thought she looked quite like an insane drama queen. "Why?"

"Because it's important! Don't you think it's important?"

--

-

There was something funny in the fact that, while Atobe loved to talk about himself, he never said anything important. It annoyed Ryoma for the most parts, so the boy usually tuned out whatever rambling session his kind of friend was having. The inner workings of the wealthy heir, Ryoma deduced on his own.

By watching him only, he could tell that Atobe appreciated Hiyoshi's determination, respected Oshitari, hoped the best for Ohtori Choutarou, was annoyed by Mukahi Gakuto, relies on Kabaji, pretends to not like Shishido when the guy was in fact one of the few Atobe really enjoyed spending time with.

Also, Atobe got a huge kick out of chatting with Fuji Syusuke and secretly found Jiroh adorable.

Ryoma wasn't sure what Atobe thought of Tezuka, but he knew that out of all the people listed above, Seigaku's ex-captain was the one he held in highest regards.

Why Atobe Keigo spent most of his free time with a still small boy who gave him attitude constantly, Ryoma could only guess.

-

--

Physically, the stranger projected shyness, but boy, did her nerve rival Tomoka's. Ryoma smiled, thinking of the then and the now. He tilted his hat so that he could get a better look at her, whereas in the past he would have pulled it to cover his eyes and ignore her. Smirked. Leaned forward.

"Since I have no idea who you are or why you would ask me for that…" He didn't finish the sentence; somehow it didn't seem worth it. He hoped she got the clue.

She didn't. "Oh, I get it's controversial. In Japan especially."

Yet again, Ryoma had to pull out his 'what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about' face. She shrugged one shoulder. "You have a relationship, and I'm not judging that, I want to use it. Please. One thing you know about Atobe Keigo. It would make my day. My week. My year. Does he snore?"

Her expression was eager. Ryoma snorted.

"Why would I know that?"

--

-

It did fall under the column of things he knew, though. It was almost the first thing he had ever learned, because it was then that he started wasting time with Hyoutei's big star.

It hadn't been a cold and boring night. July 15th, a day that commemorated nothing but a game of tennis that produced way more sweat than it should have. It had left both boys exhausted, Ryoma too weary to make it home. Atobe had generously, if not with a tad bit of his trademark arrogance, proposed a lift in his beloved limousine. After grumbling a fairly short amount of protests, Ryoma had given in. Only renovations had blocked several streets and traffic rendered moving impossible.

Atobe then did a surprising thing: he apologized, shuffled around in search of something to entertain Ryoma. When the younger boy had piles of books and video games piled up on his laps, falling off the seat beside him, Atobe appeared content and fell asleep. After several chorus of 'Don't let your guard down, don't let your guard down', Ryoma finally pushed books and games on the ground and joined Atobe in dreamland.

They didn't wake up when the limo started moving, and when the chauffeur announced the arrival at the Echizen household, Ryoma casually suggested dinner instead.

July 15th never meant anything, didn't get written down in calendars, but when that day came, both boys felt some need to celebrate some way. Because it was so small, insignificant really, they both settled for a game of tennis and naps in the limo.

-

--

It took Atobe Keigo coming out for the harassing girl to dissolve into stutters and flee. When she got out of his line of sight, Ryoma felt his whole body relaxing, a sigh leaving his body with all the unexpected tension. He cast a sidelong glance to his friend-slash-saviour-slash-interrogation mark. "People who like you are a pain."

The monkey smirked, finding amusement in the insult. "And yet, every time I call you annoying, you deny it."

--

-

Ryoma was clueless about the way Atobe interacted with his parents, about what he could talk about with Kabaji—he knew they discussed sometimes, but he had no idea what about. What he knew was the rhythm he had going with him, the way wit never lacked in their exchanges. He once remarked getting thrill out of bantering was weird, but Fuji assured him it was not. That only served in making him believe even more in the weirdness of it.

He didn't know if Atobe could talk as long with others as he could with him, and he didn't know if it mattered. It felt like it did.

The girl had said knowing things was important. He knew that every time the topic of travelling came up, Atobe would speak of Greece, of Italy, of Austria, but more than anything, of Paris. He'd paint the same pictures with different words, speak of the romance of the place, the beauty of architecture… Every time, he'd say something about bringing Ryoma there, and most of the time, Ryoma would say that Moulin Rouge was a stupid movie.

They had a rhythm, and it was easier to keep it than to pause and analyse the meanings behind careless words.

-

--

They walked close by, close enough so that his jersey touched Atobe's blazer every now and then, provoking small shivers, though it could also be the chilly wind. Atobe was talking about the meeting he had, about the ideas he formulated, about the reactions he got. Ryoma grunted at what seems to be appropriate times. He was not listening, but he had made an art out of it—he'd be the last one tricked into that scenario where not-listening is caught by the talker chatting about absurd things.

It hadn't been a thing at first, the lack of reasons and of knowledge. Except now it was.

"Do you think we're hanging out too much together?" His gaze was stuck forward; his hands wormed their way into his jeans pockets.

Atobe didn't miss a beat, answered a very frank 'no', and went back to what he had been talking about before, which happened to be plans for a fundraiser.

Ryoma smiled and let himself be comforted by that.

--

-

The room Atobe lived was huge, walls painted in a light green with golden ornaments framing the many doors. The bed was soft but not too soft, the pillows many, and sleeping in it was always pleasant until Atobe climbed on his side, and Ryoma had to turn away without knowing why, but knowing he had to do, like you know you have to duck when you see a projectile coming your way, or like you know you have to breathe.

Atobe slept in nothing but pajama bottoms, and since that teenager was still very selfish, Ryoma felt pretty sure that he turned up the thermostat when he took his shirt off. When he did ask, however, Atobe gave him a weird look.

There were the things Ryoma didn't think useful to know—Atobe's favourite color, the story behind the scar near his spine, or why he had a China doll sitting on a rocking chair in a corner of the room.

But amongst the things he'd like to know, he would want to know why Atobe smiled, pleased to hear about Ryoma's question about the thermostat.

-

--

"That girl made me forget my tennis ball," Ryoma stated out of the blue. It didn't particularly bother him, but he wanted to stop his train of thoughts before his brain could make any assumptions.

Atobe looked at him, saying nothing for a moment. Then, he fished a green tennis ball from the pocket of his pants and tossed it to Ryoma. "There. From me to you."

Ryoma frowned as he caught it. "How the heck could you hide that in your pants?"

Atobe smirked.

"Those pants are good for hiding things of superior dimensions."

Ryoma's eyes widened. That was the kind of stuff boys their age discussed in the locker rooms, and yet… Heat flooded through his face. Rhythm. Had to keep that in mind.

"Yeah, like that trophy for most arrogant boy ever."

No comeback was produced for that. Atobe just kept looking infuriatingly cocky. Ryoma groaned, pushed some bangs out of his eyes, replaced his cap, if only to have something to do other than feeling embarrassed.

--

-

He knew the date of Atobe's birthday, knew Atobe knew his date too—he did organize the last two parties, after all. He knew Atobe enjoyed shopping for gifts (it was one of the few tasks he didn't force on other people) and that he had a real talent for finding great presents. His were always Ryoma's favourites.

Ryoma also knew it was incredibly hard to find something for someone who had everything. But that the challenge was always welcome, appreciated.

And, despite the fact he never knew what to buy exactly, he did learn that when it came to exchange of gifts, the really important thing was the name on the nametags.

-

--

Coincidence or predestination, Atobe mentioned Paris that night. Granted, he had a pretext, namely the fundraiser, but for the first time, Ryoma allowed himself to regard the situation with objectivity. He saw it as it was, as a moment between the two of them. While it was clear Atobe expected his offer to be rejected like the hundreds before, a gleam in his eyes indicated some fugitive hope.

Ryoma could see beyond the pattern, now. All the fragments… It was sudden, yet it had been coming for a while.

--

-

He knew that Karupin liked Atobe. He knew that Atobe liked his mother. He knew that his father could be shockingly smart when talking with Atobe. He knew that Atobe's parents didn't like their boy being in a little suburbia. He knew Atobe liked it, though. That he, Ryoma, liked it.

But he now knew it was more than that, more than just liking to be someplace with some people. He hadn't known about a bigger picture before.

Boy, did he now.

-

--

He closed his eyes against the setting sun, not avoiding Atobe's inquiring gaze but recomposing his thoughts. His nostrils were filled with his friend's rich smell—he didn't know the name of the perfume, 'course not, and he couldn't say what it smelled like. It smelled like Atobe Keigo. It smelled good.

Damn the situation. He was fifteen. Atobe was seventeen. Controversy. Controversy. But there had been a moment, and he could feel himself being drawn to Atobe. The right corner of his mouth turned upwards. "That girl. She wanted to know something about you, and she ended up making me realize something."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I still have a lot more to work on."

"Is that so," Atobe repeated, this time in a long, amused drawl. "May I ask on what?"

Ryoma felt agitated, like he couldn't really make his body stay still. His golden eyes locked with Atobe's sharp blue ones, and he wished he could transmit some of what he was meaning to say without words. Because Atobe had to know, didn't he?

Just in case, he wasn't going to waste his time with cryptic messages. He may, possibly, like a boy, but that didn't make him a girl. "Look, Monkey King. This, you and me, is going somewhere. For that to happen, I'd need to learn things about you. It's important, she said." There was a beat. "I'll come to Paris with you."

When the initial shock faded to something else, Ryoma felt his breath hitch. Atobe had that cautiously happy face—that one he knew. It was the one he wore when he was bargaining a deal and he was pretty sure he was getting what he wanted, but still needed the confirmation and the signature.

They kept eye contact, and it was a moment frozen in time, especially since they had been wandering with no precise goal since they had left the school.

"Going to Paris to learn some things about me, huh, brat?" He was beautiful at that moment, languid and self-assured, though respectful enough not to let on too much. Ryoma's gut twisted when he realized he thought Atobe Keigo was beautiful.

"Not everybody can have insight in ten seconds." He paused. "Or three years."

Atobe laughed a sultry laugh. A thought visibly hit him then, and he smiled. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn…"

They weren't touching, not really, but the way they invaded each other space was intoxicating. The only sound Ryoma could hear was his and Atobe's breathing.

Ryoma smiled back, one of his rare true smiles. "Is the thing I want to learn. Come what may."

--

-

He knew what he wanted. Knew he had gotten it—knew he had it for a long time.

It was enough knowledge to allow the curtain to fall, so a new, improved show could begin.

-

--

**end**

--

Okay, if for some reason you have not seen the movie Moulin Rouge, the entire quote is "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return". :) Also, Christian and Satine have this kind of secret relationship, because she's a courtesan wanting to be an actress, he's the writer of the play, they're in love, but the Duke who invested asked for exclusivity over Satine... When she talks of giving him what he wants for the better good, Christian invents a song to be sung between them, a secret song that would prove their love. Come what may are lyrics of it.

Yeah, so. Feedback is always beloved-- I know I don't review reply much, but I can't begin to tell you how I love every comments you guys post.


	31. 50 themes

**50 themes**-- originally sentences, but that was so limitating

.

#01 – Motion

Ryoma is running toward his dream, toward his father, toward Tezuka even; Atobe just happens to stand in the way.

#02 – Cool

Atobe belongs to the elite, the cream of the wealthy, designed to wed a pretty and proper girl with money - it's a good thing Ryoma does not care about any of that.

#03 – Young

People said they were trying things out, that it was one of adolescence's phases. After the third year, they stop saying that, muttering incoherent things such as, 'Youth these days…'

#04 – Last

Atobe is Ryoma's first. Ryoma is Atobe's last.

#05 – Wrong

Word of an illicit relation comes out pretty quick, and echoing stares and judgements never miss target when aimed at either guy, and yes, it might be wrong. It just doesn't feel so, therefore they don't break it off. (Like hell anyone could know better than them, anyways.)

#06 – Gentle

Atobe cups Ryoma's face, runs his thumb across the boy's lower lip and the annoying smirk morphs into a genuine, tender smile.

Ryoma reciprocates and trusts Atobe not to brag.

#07 – One

Ryoma loses his cooler-than-thou composure when he enters the room and sees the row of new, shiny commercial fridges full of Ponta. "I only asked for one."

#08 – Thousand

Atobe only shrugs. "We have a better deal if we buy in bulk."

#09 – King

One day, Ryoma says Monkey Man instead of Monkey King.

#10 – Learn

He doesn't get any that night.

#11 – Blur

Graduation just means more running around for Atobe, more trying to make things right with the strict business world his father lived in, the world he is destined to live in as well, and for a whole summer, all Ryoma can see of his boyfriend is a blur of rich and warm colours.

#12 – Wait

Somehow, even though he has a zillion less things to do, he's still the one whose punctuality leaves a lot to be desired, as Atobe tartly points out when Ryoma arrives twenty minute late— that's a thousand and two hundred seconds too much, when every tick-tock brings a new business deal in Atobe Corp's faxes.

#13 – Change

It happens a few more times, but he who used to be a drama queen, one whose antics were scribbled down to entertain future generations, does not make a big deal out of it.

No one around realizes the mechanics of it, but Atobe Keigo is growing up.

#14 – Command

Ryoma tells himself he is doing a good thing by forcing that boy, barely an adult, to take time off and sit still.

#15 – Hold

By lieu of vengeance, the next few times he bothers to call, Atobe's assistant has him listening to elevator music for what felt like the longest time. (For every 'On hold' he received, he'd make the monkey wait an extra ten minutes. Fuck the theory of the vicious circle; he'd get the last word.)

#16 – Need

Love, need, cuddles in the night, stolen kisses, lingering embraces, forever—those were awful cutesy words to describe a relationship better qualified with lust, kinks, smirks, rough, truth, _now_. Still. Some of these too sticky-sweet words might not be too far from dead-on.

#17 – Vision

"That boy is proud," someone says.

"Proud," another laughs. "is one way to say it. Most irritating, arrogant brat ever would be a better one."

Ryoma happens to intercept that conversation. He steps forward to reveal himself, and the two girls quiet down at once, embarrassed that he caught their hypocrisy.

"That's one way to see it. Want to meet the person you _thought_ I made up when rejecting you both?" He smiles, genuinely amused. "If you were going to award me with such a fancy title, then you can't possibly have met him already."

#18 – Attention

Atobe has learned to execute at least five tasks all at once. The trick is to not be committed to any of those things, the same way you can watch many television channels if you don't try to pay real attention to a particular show.

When Ryoma leans in to kiss the workaholic out of him, he reaches for his computer and remote control with both hands, turns them off. Then his right hand digs into his pocket to prevent his cellphone going off. With his left hand, he pulls the boy closer. Ryoma smells like fruity bubble bath.

It all takes no more than a fraction of second.

#19 – Soul

There is something to be said about eyes and soul, but in the throes of passion, looking at the golden irises of his lover, Atobe just stops thinking.

#20 – Picture

While Atobe likes to pose for a camera, get the photograph to immortalize his beauty, Ryoma refuses to hold still next to Atobe, refuses to let proof of something romantic _exist_.

#21 – Fool

Atobe goes for the next best source: he goes to fangirls, who sell him a pile of M-rated pictures taken God knows when, then to Fuji, who gives him a single frame. On it, Ryoma and him are talking quietly, looking very intimate, very _something_, and Atobe's breath is taken away.

#22 – Mad

Ryoma is too angry to go past the fangirls' pictures. Atobe doesn't get any that night.

#23 – Child

Nanako announces her pregnancy as the summer air gets chilly. It's the beginning of the end for two very bright tennis players who played at being more than just that.

#24 – Now

That morning, Ryoma had felt a kick against his awkward hand. Nanako had found his blushing endearing. He himself had found the moment to be time-stopping, if his heart missing a beat was anything to go by. And now… Now Atobe is standing right in front of him, looking very exhausted, very curious, and very reluctant.

Smart boy, that Atobe.

#25 – Shadow

Ryoma calls at dusk with the silly hope darkness would blind his senses as well as his eyes.

He explains a feeling that barely makes sense, but that rules over his heart as a tyrant. Atobe does not speak, which makes the whole sequence very dreamlike—there is no wind, no biting cold, and very little light.

Nothing feels real, until he blinks and suddenly Atobe is nothing but a silhouette traced by the moon.

#26 – Goodbye

His heart is already breaking. He just doesn't feel it yet, won't feel it before the numbness washes away.

That won't happen anytime soon.

#27 – Hide

Atobe changes his schedule. Ryoma changes his routine. Atobe works overtime, and Ryoma often goes to visit the Ryuzaki household, with a sick Sumire and a still blushing Sakuno. (Ryoma finds comfort in that, because some things just never change, and it's nice after an earthquake.)

The paths they had met on nearly every day do not see them meet again.

#28 – Fortune

Sakuno confesses. Ryoma is surprised, he had not seen it. (Momoshiro can't believe that, he laughs really loudly when he's told)

Ryoma doesn't think he likes her that way, but she has long hair, her face is soft and her curves are coming to be quite womanly. He sees her as a Nanako meant for him.

#29 – Safe

He doesn't propose. He's twenty-three; he's not even close to being ready to be married. Instead, he asks her to be family.

#30 – Ghost

He crashes into Atobe Keigo the next day, the first time in months. Atobe mutters something about the late Karupin's kitten—apparently, Ryo-tama is perfectly healthy. Ryoma nods, not trusting his voice to be as cocky as it used to be.

#31 – Book

He wonders about the dictionary's definition of family. Perhaps—perhaps there are more ways to interpret the term.

#32 – Eye

Sakuno tells him something about eyes and soul and whatnot, something about him having a glazed look and seeming a bit distant for a few days. He tells her she's imagining things. She changes his life with her next words.

That's good, she says. I might be pregnant.

#33 – Never

He mentally lists important moments in his life. Winning the Nationals with his team the first time, with Tezuka as Buchou. Winning the Nationals with his team the second time, with Kaidou as buchou. Winning the Nationals the third time, with _him_ as buchou.

Winning against Tezuka. Against his dad. Mouths crashing in furious kissing.

Staring at Sakuno, he realizes there has never been another moment in his life where he had felt so utterly overwhelmed.

#34 – Sing

Call it woman's instinct, but she _has_ sensed the underlying fear that kept him from speaking to her after her declaration, kept his hand from touching her the way it usually did when they went to bed.

Her voice is soft, girly, _motherly_. The words are strange, a bit wacky, probably invented on a lazy afternoon with her long-time friend Tomoka, but despite all that, it is a lullaby, and despite all his mature testosterone, Ryoma does fall asleep in her arms, a perfect imitation of a child to come.

#35 – Sudden

Suddenly, he also recognizes the reason why he chose her. It had not been a coincidence that their first time had been after they came back from seeing Nanako and her baby for the first time.

The miracle of birth is enough to veil his eyes with some kind of purposeful love. It's not enough to create passion, but you don't need passion for birthmaking.

#36 – Stop

He stops worrying about what could have been, wills lingering memories of Atobe away. No need to be insecure. He even manages to be happy with Sakuno.

For a while.

#37 – Time

The date is marked on the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall, circled in red, little happy smiley face courtesy of cute little Sakuno. (Except she isn't so little now that her belly is swollen)

So Ryoma only has to check to the spot in red, still several months away, to know that something is wrong with a wailing Sakuno, hands pressed against her womb, tears in her eyes.

Because it's not time yet, yet it's happening.

#38 – Wash

Their combined tears when they learn the night of complete misery was for nothing… It washes away the illusion they had created together. When Ryoma doesn't see a mother in Sakuno, he doesn't see anything resembling a girlfriend, lover, future wife.

He embraces her in a bone-crashing hug anyway. He discovers there is nothing more sad and haunting that the cry of a mother who lost her child.

#39 – Torn

She wasn't strong enough to bring life. He isn't good enough to give love out of compassion. They do the only thing they can.

#40 – History

There is a big empty apartment and there are many big boxes full of his stuff. If the rent were not so ridiculously cheap, he'd have to sell at least three quarters of it, because his job just isn't as steady as the next guy's, and that would have been a freaking shame.

Because the only box he would be keeping in that case would the one in the center. It holds a jersey, a cap, a photo album, a tennis ball with his face on it, a cellphone forced on him, a baby blanket Nanako had given him, a framed picture of him and Atobe…

Nothing anyone would purchase. Nothing that could help him in everyday life. Every item priceless…

They keep him sane and drive him just as insane.

#41 – Power

Lack of sleep, alcoholic beverages, weird movies in the middle of the night, all are factors to a decaying mindset. When he finds with much surprise that the battery of the cellphone is still fully charged, he hits speed dial.

It's the best and the worst move he could have done. His life is full of contradictions and stupid ideas. (Mada mada dane—he's not there yet. But he will be)

#42 – Bother

Why did he call the glorious Atobe Keigo at four AM?

His mind races to find an answer. The first thing he comes up with is tennis. The second is heartbreak and needing to talk to someone who would grasp the concept. The third is an apology; the fourth is a booty call.

He challenges Atobe to a tennis game, best of three matches. Because, once upon a time, tennis solved every damn problem.

#43 – God

In his youth, Atobe had firmly believed that he was a godlike figure, on and off of the tennis court. Now, he knows better.

If he had been a God, he'd have been able to breathe life into something, he'd have saved Ryoma's infant that time had killed, he would have had the power to mend broken hearts.

Most of all, he would have _known_ about a baby before it died.

#44 – Wall

He doesn't even notice about the psychological walls entrapping him before Ryoma's eyes narrow at him.

#45 – Naked

Strangely enough, it's a rude, arrogant remark from his opponent that allows him to open up, just a bit. "I am most indignant. You did come several times to visit that cat of yours, but I have never heard of Sakuno expecting your child."

"Cut the crap, Monkey King."

#46 – Drive

Insult driven home, mouth opens to reply, possible (probable) banter coming up.

Then Atobe thinks of a more interesting point to rise. "We barely played tennis."

"You stopped the game." What was his point?

"We never talk."

"Che. We're talking right now."

"Why did you call me at all, _Echizen_?"

#47 – Harm

God, the Atobe Corp's new leader could be annoying. What, did he think he could hurt Ryoma with the use of his surname? Not even close.

Voice as smooth as razor blades, Ryoma speaks. "I still want it."

"What it?"

There is honest curiosity in the question, and Ryoma feels like he's being pulled both ways. That hurt for real.

Both; his face betrays his indecision, and his certainty. He wants both.

#48 – Precious

That is not the answer he utters aloud. Mada mada, not yet, is not it either. He's not ready yet, true, but if he doesn't react right on the spot, he'll never be.

There is the past to consider.

In the past, they had their fun. They had adrenaline pumping through their veins, sweat sticking their bodies together, snark and banters daily, hidden caring and fondness neither would admit, legs entangled and cats invading their privacy.

Perhaps more, Ryoma thinks, Fuji's picture coming to mind. But that was in the past.

There is the future to consider.

The joy of growing a family, if they decided to do something amazingly reckless and stupid and impulsive, they wouldn't experience it. A kid carried a lot of possibilities, opportunities, eternal happiness in itself. Nanako radiates bliss all around her.

Compared to that, gay couples simply don't go very far in the domain of personal growth.

#49 – Hunger

There is the present to consider.

There is, after all, something to be said about the past not existing anymore, the future not existing yet, the present being the only thing that was truly real.

For confirmation, Ryoma anchors himself to Atobe's intense blue irises.

He stops thinking.

"Right here, right now, I want you."

#50 – Believe

They lie together, surrounded by soft blankets and fluffy pillows. Once thrown away in haste, they came back to their rightful places.

Neither speaks. Ryoma knows of no word to describe the situation, his feelings, the complexity of everything that he is. Atobe is scared to use the wrong word or make it meaningless. Every doubt has not dissolve with the simple act of love making.

Words do exist in the silence of the bedroom, without being spoken.

Hope. Faith. Wish. Future.

Words of belief. Together, they'll come through.

.

getting **reviews **is almost as fun as writing royal, believe it. (Y'know. Give a bone to a dog that did a cool trick.)


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